Do You Really Not Plan to Tell Him About His Origins?

The Witcher Master was called out was taken aback.

However, faced with Mary's suspicious gaze, he could only nod hesitantly.

Although he had never met the girl.

"After we came down the mountain, didn't Ailin follow me the whole time?" Vesemir wondered, "Where did he meet this little girl?"

Vesemir's testimony not only failed to dispel Mary's doubts, but seemed to deepen the misunderstanding.

But then, Lyra turned around.

She glanced gratefully at Ailin, then smiled gently at Mary and explained:

"I am Lyra, the daughter of Viscount Hudson from Kedwen, who was persecuted by Haxor ..."

"If it weren't for Master Ailin, I would have died a violent death long ago..."

"Lyra, you..." Ailin looked at her in surprise, then subconsciously looked around.

Aside from Nannick, who should know the truth but didn't react, the priests and other people passing by also seemed to have heard nothing.

After bowing to Nannick and Lyra, who were wearing grey dresses, he left.

"It's alright..." Lyra smiled and shook her head. "This is the land of ladies on earth, where there is no one who cannot be trusted."

"Are you Hudson's daughter?" Vesemir stopped in his tracks, looking at the girl with a dark and unreadable expression.

It was as if they were observing the similarities between him and his deceased friend.

"You must be Master Vesemir?" Lyra smiled and nodded. "When I was little, my father often talked about you, saying you were the bravest warrior he had ever seen, a hero of humanity..."

He often said...

"If it weren't for the honor and responsibility he carried for his family, he would have loved to pick up his sword and travel the world with you, slaying demons and hunting monsters..."

"Really? That's what he told you..."

Upon hearing this, Vesemir laughed heartily twice, then his eyes softened with sadness, as if recalling some past scene.

"That's definitely something Hudson would say." He sighed and looked at Lyra.

It was as if through her I saw that generous and unconventional nobleman, whom I hadn't known for long but who left a deep impression.

"His swordsmanship is excellent, but his noble status holds him back..."

"Father would be very happy to know that you speak so highly of him," Lyra said gently, offering some words of comfort.

Then she looked at Mary.

At this moment.

Mary now knew Lyra's identity, was bowing her head, feeling ashamed of her earlier unreasonable behavior.

"You must be Ms. Margarita?" Lyra took two steps closer. "I've always heard that Lady Vesemir has a very outstanding apprentice..."

"I never expected that she would be even more beautiful and lovely in person than I imagined..."

"I heard from Lady Vesemir that Aliu and the others have been under your care in Kaer Morhen ..."

The praise was followed by the story of Half-elf who was sent to the Ancient Sea Fortress.

Mary and Lyra quickly became inseparable, like long-lost best friends.

At this moment.

Ailin finally realized why he hadn't recognized Lyra after only a little over a month apart.

Tranquil, gentle, friendly, and considerate in every way...

This girl now looks like a clear, warm spring.

He was completely different from the man who looked perpetually frowning and bitter just a few dozen days ago.

What caused such a dramatic change in her?

Is it the Temple of Melitele?

still...

We moved forward while reflecting.

Just then, Ailin suddenly saw Lyra tilt her head, give him a grateful look, and move her lips slightly.

That's "thank you"!

The young witcher found out.

She must know about Haxor's tragic death at the hands of Ban Ad.

"Lyra is an apprentice priestess at the Temple of Melitele, and she's currently learning from Nannick and working as his assistant..."

Vesemir gave a brief introduction.

Nannick nodded, looked at Lyra with pity as she finished easing the tension, and praised her:

"Lyra was a diligent worker and a devout believer, and she helped me a lot..."

"The High Priest and the Lady must have seen it all..."

Seeing the admiration on Nannick's face, Ailin knew that Lyra's life and future at the Temple of Melitele would definitely be good.

certainly.

This is a somewhat mercenary thought of his.

The young witcher felt more gratified and pleased to see a child filled with hatred and revenge find redemption and change through his actions.

The main hall, gardens, greenhouses, bedrooms, prayer rooms, orphanage, maternity wards, and even a school to train future herbalists, doctors, and midwives...

Rather than being a temple, the Temple of Melitele is more like a sparsely populated small town.

Moreover, in terms of administrative divisions, this small town did not belong to the local nobles, nor even to the King of Temeria.

This is the sanctuary of the Goddess Meritellie.

Whether in terms of its spiritual meaning or its literal meaning.

therefore.

This place is quite large.

It took a full five minutes just to get the horses of the few people to the stable.

After leaving the stables, Nannick led Ailin and his group for nearly ten minutes, even crossing a roaring waterfall, before finally reaching their destination.

A pure white building shrouded in ancient trees reaching for the sky.

"Chirp chirp~"

Various brightly colored birds flew to and fro, chirping as they went.

The sound of the waterfall in the distance adds to the serene and lofty atmosphere.

What's even more noteworthy is that...

Although surrounded by trees and birds.

This tall building is a flawless, pure white structure, whether viewed from afar or up close.

Pure and ethereal.

It seemed to emit a velvety white light.

"We've arrived!" Nannick said softly.

"Where is this?" Mary asked curiously, gazing at the pure white, rounded building.

"The closest sacred place to the lady is also where the High Priest serves the gods..." Aisha explained softly and devoutly.

"Lady Vesemir, please take Ailin inside. I'll take the others to rest first."

Nannick nodded to Vesemir.

"Thank you for your help..." Vesemir nodded slightly.

Nannick shook his head, looked at Vesemir who was holding Royce, Mary, and Yennefer whose face was obscured by a black robe, and smiled gently:

"Please come with me."

Immediately afterwards, she walked straight outside.

Knowing that the High Priest would only meet with Ailin and Vesemir, Vesemir nodded slightly to Ailin and then followed Nannick with the others.

Watching the group walk away, Vesemir turned back to look at Ailin and said:

"Ailin, let's go..."

The young witcher gazed at the sanctuary of Meritellie, took a deep breath, nodded, and walked inside.

"Knock knock knock~"

The crisp sound of footsteps echoed through the deep white corridor.

The walls on both sides are decorated with exquisite carvings and paintings that tell the story of Meritellie's greatness.

"Don't be nervous, Ianna is a very kind person."

Vesemir seemed to sense something from Ailin's silence and offered some words of comfort.

Ianna...

Ailin was stunned.

This is clearly a term of address used only by very close friends.

Out of curiosity, the young witcher asked in a low voice:

Are you very familiar with the High Priest?

"Very familiar?" Vesemir chuckled and shook her head.

Um?

Does this mean we're not familiar with each other?

Ailin was curious.

"Ianna, she's the one I brought to the Temple of Melitele ..." Vesemir smiled gently, as if thinking of something heartwarming, "I watched her grow up..."

Holy crap!

Watching him grow up is quite something...

The Sorceress's casual remark made Ailin's azure Cat Eyes widen in surprise.

Lady Vesemir's appearance, which made her look no more than twenty years old, always made Ailin unconsciously overlook her age.

He only remembered now...

Even Vesemir is over 150 years old.

With a rough estimate, Lady Vesemir must have at least two hundred...

What are you thinking about?

A cold female voice suddenly rang in his ears, startling the young witcher so much that his heart stopped.

Ailin looked up at the Sorceress had somehow approached, and his soul trembled.

Vesemir squinted as she examined Ailin's suddenly pale face:

"I sense you're thinking something rather impolite..."

"How could this be!" Ailin quickly cleared her mind. "I was thinking about the curse..."

Vesemir looked at him carefully again, unsure whether she believed him or not, and then led the way:

"Don't worry, it's just an Evil God from another realm."

"This problem can be solved in any temple, let alone with the Goddess Meritellie..."

"Knock knock knock~"

The footsteps continued.

Looking at Vesemir's retreating figure, Ailin breathed a sigh of relief and cautiously daydreamed to himself:

No wonder that whether it was Sadia or Aisha, the Temple of Melitele was always accepted by Lady Vesemir.

So that's what the relationship was.

Now Ailin was completely relieved.

Even looking at the solemn statues and paintings on both sides, he felt much more at ease.

After all, Ailin was still Vesemir's alchemy apprentice.

So, he and the High Priest are on the same side!

After walking through the long corridor, a large wooden door appears at the end.

The door is carved with the three phases of the Goddess Meritellie: a young girl, a pregnant woman, and an old woman.

"Swish~ Swish~"

The sound of friction came from the crack in the half-closed door, which revealed a small opening.

"Squeak~"

After the door was pushed open, the first thing that came into view was the statue of Meritellie.

However, unlike the stone statues at the temple gate, this statue is very small, only the height of a normal woman.

Moreover, it's grayish and has gaps everywhere.

It looks as if it had been exposed to the wind and sun in the wilderness for hundreds of years, and then naturally cracked.

It doesn't match the magnificent, pure white hall at all, yet it feels perfectly natural.

It was as if the stone statue had always stood there.

"This is the original icon of the Goddess Meritellie..."

A kind and gentle female voice suddenly rang out from the side.

Ailin paused for a moment, as if she were hearing the voice of the headmistress of the orphanage in her past life, who had raised hundreds of orphans.

Looking closely, I saw a kind old lady with a slightly hunched back walking over from behind the stone statue.

She was holding a white cloth, as if she had just been wiping the sculptures and murals on the wall.

"Vesemir, is this your..." The old woman paused, puzzled, "... that child?"

The Sorceress clenched her fist, glanced at her seemingly casually, and said:

"Ianna, this is Ailin. I brought him to remove the curse..."

"Greetings, High Priest Ianna..." Ailin also bowed slightly in greeting.

"We're all family, no need to be so formal," the old woman shook her head and interrupted, "Just call me Grandma Ianna!"

"Ian..." Ailin was about to call out.

"Buzz~"

The Wolf Emblem on his chest suddenly hummed softly.

He tilted his head.

Lady Vesemir was looking at Ianna, her face expressionless.

Ianna, seemingly oblivious, smiled and squinted at Ailin, without looking back at Vesemir.

Instantly.

A strange undercurrent, completely incomprehensible to Ailin, was surging between the three of them.

Ailin glanced at Lady Vesemir, then at High Priest Ianna, and after a few seconds of thought, tentatively called out:

"Ianna... Granny?"

"Eh~" Ianna replied with a smile.

Vesemir turned her head to look in another direction.

The strange, inexplicable atmosphere vanished instantly, as if it had never existed.

Ailin scratched his head and breathed a sigh of relief.

He once thought of breaking the curse of the Evil God and might undergo some trials in the temple of Meritellie.

After all, that's how it's usually portrayed in novels and TV dramas.

But to his surprise, he encountered such a strange... uh... difficulty?

but.

Although it's unclear why he can't call Grandma Ianna," it seems he's passed that hurdle.

"Good child, quickly stretch out your hand so that Granny can see which big bad guy has come after my sweet child..."

Ianna's coaxing tone, as if speaking to a child, made Ailin slightly uncomfortable.

However, he obediently extended his right hand, which was then grasped by Ianna's wrinkled and age-spotted hands.

The next second.

A warm current seeped into my body from my palms, traveling along the Magic Veins of my body.

Although Ianna had her eyes closed, Ailin felt as if she had been completely seen through.

"Huh!"

Ianna gasped.

"What's wrong?" Vesemir asked anxiously.

Ianna opened her eyes, looked at Ailin, and asked hesitantly:

"Bone and flesh, do you know?"

Ailin was so surprised that he abruptly pulled his hand back.

"It seems you knew..." Ianna nodded, then took Ailin's hand and said to Vesemir, "Don't worry, it's alright..."

After a pause, she looked admiringly at Ailin's slender and shapely hands:

"As expected of the Child of Miracle, he is indeed extraordinary."

then.

She closed her eyes and continued her investigation.

Ailin was still somewhat shaken.

The Child of Miracle isn't a big deal, since Vesemir already knows about it.

His bones and flesh, which could be slowly transformed by Elemental Affinity, were seen through for the first time.

and.

When Ianna grabbed Ailin's right hand, he instinctively dodged in response.

Yet he was still caught in the most ordinary way.

for a long time.

Ianna only let go after the warm current flowed through her entire body.

"How about it?"

Before Ailin could speak, Vesemir hurriedly took two steps closer and asked first.

Ianna lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then said:

"It's Evil God I've never seen before..."

Seeing that Vesemir and Ailin were getting nervous, he continued:

"It's alright, I'll just stay here for a few days."

"That's good..." Vesemir breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is it okay if I don't have to do anything else and just stay here?" Ailin asked curiously.

Ianna squinted and nodded kindly:

"Of course, seven days is enough to stay here."

"The lady's Divine Power can drive away evil..."

"But..."

Ianna smiled and handed over the rag she was holding:

"It would be even better if you could help the lady clean the house; ladies love hardworking, kind, and well-behaved children the most."

Ailin naturally wouldn't refuse.

He took the rag, nodded to Vesemir, and began carefully cleaning the mural, starting from the doorway.

Vesemir and Ianna stood watching for a while, then quietly left after telling him they would pick him up before dinner.

that's all.

The two walked silently toward the outside of Meritellie's sanctuary.

He remained silent.

until...

They walked out of the sanctuary's gates, Ianna glanced back at the sanctuary before suddenly speaking:

"Are you really not going to tell him about your background?"