A Strange Sorcerer

"Why Rock Troll?"

The Sorceress asked after hearing Ailin's question.

"Ah?"

He paused for a moment.

"I asked you why you're concerned about the Rock Troll?"

"I thought you should ask me if I could bring another woman or..."

The Sorceress glanced again at the darkness on Ailin's face, paused, and smiled with a hint of amusement:

"... Or perhaps we could take another female elf with us?"

Ailin remained silent for a long while before letting out a helpless sigh and saying:

"Lady Vesemir, please don't joke with me."

"Fran... that female elf has already left with my targets. I will go and find them after we leave this place."

"This magical item was... lent to me by her..."

Ailin noticed that the Sorceress's expression was becoming increasingly ambiguous, and he paused in his speech.

He knew that the more he tried to explain, the less clear things would become, so he simply changed the subject:

"But none of that matters."

"Lady Vesemir, you haven't answered my question yet: what will happen to these Rock Troll if we leave?"

The Sorceress glanced indifferently at the Rock Troll around her:

"They'll probably all die."

"Since the last struggle of the King's Guard for honor and official positions has failed because of your intervention."

"The next ones to come in will definitely be wizards and witchers."

Ailin's heart sank.

"Are the Witchers... the ones from the School of the Cat?"

The Sorceress shook her head:

"Didn't I tell you just now? Soyer accepted the king's commission to hunt demons, and the target is these Rock Troll, so..."

Upon hearing this, Ailin fell silent, mentally completing the Sorceress's omitted words.

So these Rock Troll are definitely doomed.

actually.

He didn't have much affection for these Rock Troll, after all, the experience of being almost killed by them happened just three days ago, and it would be impossible for Ailin to feel no resentment at all.

However, these trolls all have some connection with Big Stone and his group, and are considered combat forces that the School of the Wolf can try to win over.

It would be a pity to die by the sword of the School Head.

Therefore, after thinking for a moment, Ailin asked:

"Lady Vesemir, is there a way to get these Rock Troll out of here?"

"These trolls are forces we can win over."

"I can give it a try..." The Sorceress never seemed to refuse Ailin's request.

"But the prerequisite is that you must convince these trolls to leave this place, and... you must be quick."

She looked up at the sky:

"Those male wizards of Ban Ade are currently setting up the ritual site for the teleportation imprisonment."

"You don't have much time left."

Imprison Teleport!

As expected, the male wizards sealed off the place as soon as they arrived.

Unfortunately, they were too late.

Ailin was glad that he had gotten there before the male wizards and moved all the mission targets away.

Then he nodded seriously to the Sorceress and walked up to the Mountain Stone where the rotten flesh of victory was being distributed:

"Mountain Stone, this place will soon attract many enemies. Quickly arrange for your people and us to leave!"

The words had barely left his mouth.

The Mountain Stone had not yet spoken.

Several Rock Troll had already started causing trouble.

"... Trolls... are not afraid of... humans..."

"... Humans... come... humans... die..."

"... Witcher... destroyed... the house... Witcher... drove... the trolls... away..."

OK.

Some Rock Troll were unwilling to leave have started bringing up old grievances about Vesemir.

And he connected Ailin with Vesemir.

However, the Witcher had anticipated this.

He pointed to the large pile of rotting flesh beside the Mountain Stone and said:

"Leave, there's meat, every day... every week, there's something."

The noisy rock chamber fell silent the moment Ailin unleashed his carrion attack.

A dozen pairs of tiny, beady Little Eye peered at the rotting flesh, and glistening saliva almost simultaneously dripped from their mouths.

Ailin didn't know why the Rock Troll liked to eat rotten flesh so much.

Based on what Ailin knows.

Rock Troll actually have a habit of cooking with fire and stew pots.

This is clearly different from the habits of carrion-eating monsters.

However, not understanding this doesn't prevent Ailin from using it.

"... Meat... is available every week..." a troll asked, wiping his drool.

"Every week," Ailin nodded, then looked up and said, "And Big Stone and the others are all in Kaer Morhen ..."

The Mountain Stone are the true masters of this place.

Persuading other Rock Troll is certainly useful, but persuading the Mountain Stone is even more important.

The Big Stone, Broken Stone, and Little Stone —these trolls that seem to be related to it by blood—are a good starting point.

Moreover, the intelligence revealed by the Mountain Stone.

It had no reason not to see the dangerous situation these dozen or so Rock Troll would face if they stayed here.

really.

After a few seconds of silence, Mountain Stone nodded in agreement.

"... The Witcher did not harm the trolls... The Witcher is a friend of the Big Stone... The Witcher helped the trolls hold off the humans... The Witcher is worthy of the Mountain Stone's trust!"

Seeing that the witcher had persuaded the Rock Troll, the Sorceress gave him some advice:

"Beyond the portal lies an abandoned elven ruin in the Blue Mountains. Tell your troll friends to wait for me there."

"Once things are settled here, I'll send them back to Kaer Morhen."

Ailin also conveyed this information to the Mountain Stone.

Then.

"Bang!"

A familiar orange-yellow portal appeared inside the cave.

However, unlike in the past...

The portal that has now appeared is a full twenty meters high, almost touching the top of the cave.

"Ailin".

The Sorceress shouted.

Maintaining such a massive portal was clearly taking a toll on her, and her face even turned pale.

Seeing this, Ailin quickly joined forces with the Mountain Stone to make the Rock Troll line up and enter the portal one by one.

"Thump~ thump~ thump~"

Heavy footsteps echoed, accompanied by the tremors of the ground.

Even with the temptation of rotting flesh.

It is not an easy task to get an intelligent being to leave a place where it has lived for a long time.

As they approached the portal, many trolls turned back several times, hesitantly looking at the place where they had once lived.

Only after being threatened by Mountain Stone's occasional "... If the troll doesn't leave... Mountain Stone's fist..." did he finally step into the portal.

This significantly impacted the speed of migration.

Ailin was constantly terrified, fearing that at some point, Ban Ade's sorcerer would suddenly complete the imprisonment ritual.

The portal was forced to close.

fortunately.

Until the Mountain Stone walked into the teleportation portal.

None of these melodramatic scenes happened.

After watching the last troll walk into the portal, Mountain Stone nodded gratefully to Ailin in a simple, honest voice.

"... Witcher... Mountain Stone friend... troll friend..."

Then they stepped into the orange portal.

"Bang!"

The portal is closed.

Only Ailin and the Sorceress remained in the entire cave.

Plans never keep up with changes.

Ailin's original goal was simply to leave the abandoned mine safely.

If they can't get out, they can use the illusion created by the Rock Troll and the dead mirage pearl to launch a major attack on Kedwen's army.

Unexpectedly, the rotten flesh he had carelessly left behind that morning actually improved his relationship with the Rock Troll.

At that point, his goals naturally changed.

He felt he could use his connection with the Mountain Stone and the illusion to inflict more damage on Kedwen's army.

If an opportunity arises, the information that Sadia and Hodon has already left can be naturally revealed to Kedwen's army.

Perhaps it wasn't just him.

At that time,

Even some Rock Troll have a chance to survive.

Having lost what the king wanted, Kedwen's army had no reason to clash with such a tough nut as the Rock Troll.

It will not only bring no benefits, but also cause great damage.

At that time, Ailin could find an opportunity to persuade them, and who knows, a few Rock Troll might choose to Kaer Morhen.

And now.

Ailin, walking through the dark mine, glanced at the Sorceress.

Lady Vesemir's arrival rendered the illusion, which played a crucial role in both plans, useless.

but.

Compared to being able to leave smoothly and safely, a fantasy world with a time limit of only one day seems less important.

not to mention.

He also rescued twelve Rock Troll.

If they successfully reach Kaer Morhen, the sheer size of the Mountain Stone, at least twenty meters tall, would be enough to protect a city wall on the fiercest battlefield.

As for whether or not these trolls can be subdued?

Would Ailin, who has a lot of rotten flesh on hand, be worried about this?

"The imprisonment ritual is complete."

A cold female voice suddenly came from beside Ailin, interrupting his thoughts.

There wasn't even a chance to ask in detail.

The next second.

"Buzz~"

The Wolf Emblem on his chest trembled.

Ailin suddenly felt his body sink, as if a heavy weight was being carried on his shoulders.

But upon closer inspection, there were no physical changes.

"The ritual's 'immobilization' will inert the elements within its range, making the opening and closing of the portal extremely difficult."

The Sorceress explained.

Very troublesome?

Ailin seemed thoughtful, then asked curiously:

"So even if the ritual has been successfully performed, there is still a way to teleport?"

The Sorceress nodded, then shook her head:

"It's theoretically possible, but practically impossible."

"Why?" Ailin asked.

"Because when teleporting occurs within the passivated element range, all the data required by the portal will be disrupted."

"Therefore, even if a portal can be opened, the caster cannot know what lies on the other side of the portal..."

"Perhaps within rocks, on the sea, or even directly within magma..."

The Sorceress was happy to share this magical knowledge with Ailin.

Even if this knowledge seems to have no use to a witcher.

Because he neither knew how to use a portal nor how to set up a ritual: imprisonment.

But speaking of portals...

"Lady Vesemir, I'm so sorry, I've damaged the Goddess Meritellie's Amulet."

Ailin took out the amulet.

The two black marks on the silver jewelry were very obvious.

The Sorceress immediately stopped, took the amulet with a solemn expression, and examined it carefully for a few seconds.

at the same time.

Ailin also told the Sorceress about how the amulet was damaged, omitting some of the negative effects on Francesca.

The Sorceress's face turned even paler after hearing Ailin's story.

She took a deep breath and said worriedly:

"Ailin, maybe you shouldn't participate in this fighting tournament."

"Come with me to Arland first, and go to the temple of Meritellie to remove the curse."

Ailin, of course, could not agree to that.

There are only a few days left until the apprentices' fighting competition.

Arland is far from Ban Ad; even at top speed, a round trip wouldn't take long.

not to mention.

He remembered the Sorceress saying that to break the curse of the Evil God, he had to stay in the church of the true god for seven days.

In that case, Ailin will definitely miss the Apprentice Combat Tournament.

With both the School of the Cat and the King showing hostility, it's anyone's guess what tricks they'll pull in the fighting tournament.

It is impossible for Ailin to disregard the interests of the school and the lives of Huus and his companions because of the potential risks to himself.

then.

Ailin quickly comforted her:

"It's alright, Lady Vesemir."

"It's all in the past now. I can focus on the competition and I'm sure I won't need a portal again."

"But..." the Sorceress tried to persuade her again.

"Thump~ thump~ thump~"

The Sorceress was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming from the abandoned mine.

Ailin breathed a sigh of relief.

The Sorceress's care warmed his heart, like soaking in a hot spring, for this orphan of two lifetimes.

but.

Giving up the arena tournament to go to Arland to remove the curse is definitely impossible.

Fortunately, someone came.

He needed to quickly come up with an explanation to persuade the Sorceress.

Ailin was racking his brains to come up with a good line.

The next second.

Ignoring the approaching footsteps, the Sorceress continued to dissuade them.

"But according to what you've said, that Evil God was almost touching your soul..."

"If we don't pay attention..."

"..."

Ailin listened to the Sorceress's rambling.

I looked at the soundproof shields around me with a sense of helplessness.

Obviously.

Powerful mages always have privileges, no matter the time.

Even when the enemy is closing in, there is still plenty of time to chat about everyday things.

Ailin listened to the Sorceress's words of advice, he felt somewhat at a loss, appreciating the pure kindness and care from others.

Until the passage ahead, a huge shadow was cast by the firelight.

The Sorceress then closed her lips.

Smack!

A snap of the fingers.

The moment the soundproof magic shield disappeared, a heavy shadow enveloped the two of them.

The next moment.

Ailin felt as if he had suddenly plunged into the water.

Not only is the abandoned cave in sight separated from reality by only a layer of shadow like the surface of water.

Even the footsteps that could be heard sounded as if they were coming through a layer of liquid.

"Thump~ thump~ thump~"

Indistinct footsteps approached.

At the corner of the passage, rows of soldiers emerged, each holding an "Immovable Shield."

How many Immovable Shield does Kedwen actually have?

Ailin couldn't help but feel curious.

But as Kedwen's army drew near, even knowing the Sorceress's exceptional spellcasting abilities, he couldn't help but hold his breath.

"Clang~ Clang~ Clang~"

Rows of soldiers passed by him in perfect order.

First came those with Immovable Shield, then spears, then bows and arrows...

Last one followed...

They were a group of lazy, robed male sorcerers whose demeanor was completely out of place in the military.

"Ritual: After the imprisonment, did Ban Ade's sorcerer also come down with the army?"

"Fortunately..."

"The Rock Troll have all been sent away."

Ailin felt relieved.

But unexpectedly, in the next moment, their eyes met those of a strange male wizard wearing a long, pointed hat.

Oops!

I've been found out?!