Sadia and the Child of Miracle

Chamomile?

Sadia muttered to herself.

She walked to the spot where the Greater Nekker had disappeared and squatted down.

There was a pile of black ashes there.

The sight alone was unsettling; without even needing to examine it, Ailin could tell that it was the Residue of Grudge left behind after the demon was killed.

After Sadia squatted down, she stared blankly at Hodon's last remaining possessions, and suddenly said:

"Don't you find this strange?"

"What?" Ailin was stunned.

Sadia did not turn around:

"I am Enid's mother, and now I am mourning for a human man."

Ailin remained silent.

What can he say about something like this?

In this melodramatic family drama, he was merely an outsider.

Besides, it doesn't seem surprising that such a thing happens among you elves.

After all, there's a precedent: the source of the Elder Blood, the elven sage Laura Dorren, eloped with the human mage Kray Rhode.

Etc!

When did Laura Dorren pass away?

Has she passed away yet?

Ailin's silence did not affect Sadia, who continued talking to herself:

"During the Aelirenn Uprising, I had a dispute with Francesca's father."

"As an Ian Savigny, he saw the future of the uprising's disastrous defeat in the crystal ball."

"As the leader of Ion El, he refused to send his people to participate in this uprising..."

"But what's the difference between being gradually devoured by humans and dying?"

"Besides..."

"How could he know whether Laurelin's failure was due to the lack of his support and the hesitation of other Ariel leaders because of his statement?"

"Therefore, I broke ties with Francesca's father."

"I joined Laurelin's resistance, while he left Shaer Lavhed with his supporters."

"Then..."

"Laurelin... lost."

Sadia's tone was nonchalant.

Ailin, who was listening in, could detect a strong smell of blood in the murmur.

"I was also in that war, killed by my best friend among mankind..."

Sadia glanced at Ailin.

"Vesemir of Toussaint has lost her spellcasting ability."

"From then on, I could only rely on the magical items I had to evade the repeated pursuits of the Kedwen army."

Ailin felt a chill run down his spine.

He remembered that the Sorceress had indeed told him about it in Kaer Morhen.

Vesemir has an elf friend.

However, her original words were that he had already killed this friend.

Notice the changes in Ailin's breathing.

Sadia chuckled softly and shook her head:

"Don't be nervous, I don't hate her..."

"Or rather, at that time I hated her to death, I wished I could drink her blood and eat her flesh..."

"But so many years have passed, and when I think back to those days..."

"We just have different positions."

"She is human, I am Ion El."

"Forced by circumstances and by racial hatred, we can only be hostile, and will only be hostile, nothing more."

"She could have killed me, but in the end she only crippled my Casting Talent and beat me half to death."

His spellcasting ability was simply disabled, and he was only half-dead...

Ailin was speechless.

However, it doesn't match the two phrases that follow.

Sadia seemed to have guessed Ailin's thoughts and explained:

"Vesemir has done the best he could."

"At that time, I was overwhelmed by the sight of my people dying one after another and the blood flowing like rivers, and I wanted to kill her at all costs."

"While Vesemir's methods may seem ruthless, she always holds back at crucial moments."

After taking a deep breath, Sadia closed her eyes, seemingly recalling the battle.

"At last..."

"They even hid me away and sent me all the way to the Temple of Meritele in Arland to heal my wounds."

"Even though I'm much older than her, I feel like the younger one in front of Vesemir."

A hint of nostalgia and sadness flickered in Sadia's eyes, and she sighed.

"Speaking of which, the mirage pearl you have was a gift from me."

Ailin subconsciously touched the still-sleeping Mirage Pearl.

Four or five hours have passed.

The connection to the mirage in his mind remained calm and showed no signs of waking up.

However, the longer it sleeps, the greater the changes in the Mirage Pearl will be, and the more Ailin anticipates the improvements the Mirage Pearl will make after it awakens.

"Then what?"

"Ailin asked."

Sadia then recalled:

"Then I spent a long time in the temple of the Goddess Meritellie."

"Although they are gods of humankind, the priests of the Goddess Meritellie were not affected by the widespread hatred of the Ain El race among the northern countries at that time."

"They not only healed my injuries, but also taught me medicine and herbal medicine techniques when I was lost and had nowhere to go."

"Doesn't it seem strange?"

Sadia looked at Ailin.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Ailin nodded.

He believed that it was difficult to distinguish between good and evil in the struggle between races.

It was already quite an achievement that a priest at the Temple of Melitele, who was on good terms with Vesemir, healed Sadia's injuries.

They sheltered leaders of rival races and taught them their skills.

This is more than just a little strange.

Sadia saw the answer in Ailin's face:

"I had the same thoughts as you at the time."

"However, the temple's aged High Priest said: The goddess is the protector of all innocent victims."

"I asked: I participated in the war and killed many humans, am I considered an innocent victim?"

The High Priest retorted, "Why doesn't that count?"

"Isn't Shaer Lavhed your home, elves?"

"If robbers break in, isn't it only right to take up arms and defend one's home?"

"I was surprised at the time and asked: Even if those bandits were human, and I am an Ain El?"

"My child, whether someone is a robber is not determined by race, but only by their actions."

"That woman, who was more than ten years younger than me, looked at me with pity, as if I were really her child..."

Upon hearing this, Ailin was slightly moved.

However, Sadia's story was clearly not over yet, so like everyone else listening to a story, he asked:

"And then what?"

"After that... I could only rely on the few magical items left by Vesemir to play some tricks like illusions, so I disguised myself as an ordinary human and seriously studied herbalism and medicine in the temple of the Goddess Meritellie."

"Until..."

"I don't remember if it was more than ten years or more, or more than twenty years later..."

"The old priest died, and the new priest discovered my identity and banished me."

Sadia took a deep breath and gently collected the remnants of resentment in front of her, one by one.

"I don't hold a grudge against the newly appointed priestess. Although she drove me away, she didn't tell anyone else about my identity."

"You should know..."

"Although King Kedwen, who launched the invasion, died long ago."

"But the bounty for the Laurelin Rebellion has always been hanging high at the city gates of the northern human kingdoms, and has never been lowered."

"And I am the first of all the bounties."

"As long as she reports me, she can reap a lot of money and fame, and she can accept it without feeling guilty."

"After all..."

"I am just a hostile alien."

"So when I left, I didn't harbor a single trace of resentment or dissatisfaction..."

"I'm just a little regretful and a little sad..."

"The evil and good of short-lived species are both so fleeting."

Sadia sighed and took a common glass medicine bottle from the bag at her waist.

He collected all the resentment and left it in a bottle, then handed it to Ailin.

"Um?"

Ailin instinctively took the potion bottle and looked at Sadia with a puzzled expression.

"Although even I don't know what this material is, it's your spoils of war, so keep it safe."

"But this is the last thing Hodon left in the world..."

"No!" Sadia interrupted him. "He wouldn't leave me something that looks ominous."

"The last thing Hodon left in this world is here."

Sadia gently tapped her forehead.

Ailin remained silent.

The remnants of resentment are indeed ominous; Sadia is right.

So Ailin obediently put the glass bottle filled with Residue of Grudge into the reagent bag at his waist.

Seeing that Ailin had accepted it, Sadia smiled and nodded, then continued:

"After leaving the Temple of Melitele in Arland, I still had nowhere to go."

"However, thanks to the disguise of illusion, superb medical skills and herbalism, and the background of the Temple of Melitele..."

"I am respected in every town in the North."

Is it ridiculous?

"I, Aion El, who is hostile to humanity, am actually respected in the human kingdom."

Sadia glanced at Ailin.

But the Witcher shook his head:

"Didn't you use the herbalism and medicine you learned from the Temple of Melitele to heal humans?"

Sadia paused for a moment, then laughed heartily.

Haha~

"Of course, I can't even remember how many human lives I've saved."

Then she suddenly stopped laughing.

"In villages and towns, I saw the smiles of patients who had been cured, and heard their gratitude..."

"Sometimes, I even forget that I am still a 'noble' Ian El."

"I am just what humans call Asha, Sister Asha, Little Sister Asha, Doctor Asha, or... Granny Asha..."

"If only I were really like that Asha," Sadia sighed sadly. "Unfortunately, I am an Ion El, an immortal Ion El."

"Every so often, roughly every five to ten years, I have to leave the town I've become familiar with."

"Departing amidst human reluctance and pleas for farewell, heading to the next temporary dwelling."

"At that time, I deliberately forgot my identity in the Aion El family..." Sadia lowered her head, "As a follower of Meritellie, I even intentionally or unintentionally forgot my responsibilities as a mother."

Ailin glanced subconsciously in the direction of the Wooden Hut.

"At that time, I thought I would spend the rest of my life like this, until..." Sadia paused, "Until I was called by fate and came to Kedwen."

"A call of fate?"

Ailin asked in bewilderment.

Sadia nodded.

"It's a feeling that's hard to describe, like a flash of inspiration or a sudden whim?"

"If I remember correctly, you Witchers also experience this sense of destiny before using the Accident Law, but..."

Sadia glanced at Ailin and smiled kindly:

"But you're still young, so you probably haven't encountered this before. You'll know in the future."

Ailin remained silent, overwhelmed by her age.

Francesca was older than both of his previous lives combined, not to mention compared to Sadia.

So he listened silently as Sadia continued:

"I felt a calling from fate and returned to Shaer Lavhed."

Sadia's voice trembled slightly, a rare occurrence for her:

"But by then... the Rose Palace of the Ayn Els, Shaer Lavhed, had already... been reduced to ruins..."

"I...I followed the guidance of fate and came to the Shaer Lavhed Center..."

"A gem was retrieved from the white rose bush that Laurelin loved so dearly..."

gem?

For some reason, the image of the black "Circle of Elements" in Viscount Hudson's abandoned castle suddenly popped into Ailin's mind.

Could this gem be related to that peculiar Circle of Elements?

"So Haxor deployed a large army to hunt you down, all for this gem?"

"Ailin I asked curiously."

This is the most reasonable reason.

A gem found by destiny must be extraordinary, and it is understandable that it would be coveted by a ruler of a nation.

"No!"

Sadia shook her head.

Not a gemstone?

Why is Haxor relentlessly pursuing Sadia?

"I only found out later."

"The Ban Ade wizards' target is this gem, as for Haxor..."

"He just wanted to kill me... and Hodon!"

"Huh?" Ailin asked in surprise, "Why?"

"Because of a prophecy."

"What prophecy?"

Ailin instinctively asked in return.

For some reason, Sadia was incredibly open and forthcoming with all the questions the Witcher had to ask.

So his question came naturally.

But the next second...

Upon hearing the prophecy recited by Sadia, the Witcher's expression suddenly changed drastically.

Under the bright moonlight, the elf, shrouded in illusion, chanted:

"Know that the Time of Sword and Axe is approaching, and it will be the Era of the Cold Wolf and Blizzard."

The world will Die in Frost and Reborn Under the New Sun.

Ess'tuath esse! This is inevitable! Pay attention to the signs!

To know what the signs are...

First, Filius Miraculi— the Child of Miracle —was born in a bitterly cold land.

Death and rebirth, non-human beings bring blood and fire...

Isn't this... isn't this the prophecy of the "Child of Miracle" that Vesemir once told him?

What does this have to do with Sadia being persecuted by King Kedwen?

Ailin was so shocked that he could hardly control his expression.

fortunately.

Sadia's gaze was not on Ailin's face at that moment.

But what shocked Ailin even more was...

The prophecy following Sadia was not finished.

"Then.

When Aen Seidhe—blood of the elves—overwhelms the earth, you should all weep, for the destroyer of nations will come.

Your land will be trampled and divided up.

Your cities will be burned, and your inhabitants will flee.

Bats, owls, and crows will frequent your homes, and snakes and insects will make them their nests...

After Sadia finished reciting the prophecy, her deep blue eyes, similar to Francesca's, gazed intently at the Witcher:

"Ailin!"

"Haxor ...no, not just Haxor!"

"The reason they want to kill us is because of the prophesied Child of Miracle!"