Who Is Calling Me?

"Donato Rogrides?" Ailin looked up at Lyra. "This is?"

"Donato Rogrides is the Duke of Kedwen," Lyra said. "He had a child who was taken away by the Witchers of the School of the Wolf due to the Accident Law and died in the trials..."

"The Rodriguez family has many businesses and business dealings with Ben Ade..."

He had business dealings with Ban Ade...

Ailin's eyes lit up immediately as he looked at the other names on the paper:

"So, the other names are too?"

Lyra nodded. "The other names are all nobles who have had disputes with witchers in the past, or at least whose political stance leans towards male witches."

"Marquis Junio West was also one of his sons who was taken away by the Witcher due to Accident Law..."

"And Earl Harley McCain, Viscount Mins Ishak, Earl Edison Loy..."

"These nobles were all children who were taken away by the witchers..."

"Some of these children are even the first heirs to the family title..."

Ailin was taken aback by these words. The School of the Wolf had made so many enemies; no wonder they were beaten so badly in the end.

The priest seemed to see through Ailin's expression and comforted him:

"Those whose offspring were taken away were all nobles whose lives had been saved by the Witcher..."

"I asked Nannick, and he said that very few witchers would willingly use the Accident Law when there's money to be made..."

"So it wasn't the Witcher who stole their child, but fate that took them away through the Witcher's hands..."

Ailin was aware of this as well.

He had asked Vesemir before, and it turned out that those he would take to Kaer Morhen were usually poor children who couldn't afford the commission.

When encountering nobles, no Witcher from the School of the Wolf will proactively raise the Accident Law.

unless...

Fate brought them together.

After all, each noble is a local tyrant, and which rational and clear-headed witcher would willingly offend them?

"Thank you," Ailin said, thanking Lyra for her comfort. "Few people know so much about the Witcher."

Lyra's face flushed slightly:

"That's because when Lady Vesemir first sent me here, I hadn't given up on becoming a witcher..."

"So I deliberately looked into it..."

This topic seemed to make the junior priest a little embarrassed. After saying only a few words, he forcibly steered the conversation back to the list:

"And Viscount Matthieu Dol, Baron Hol Simone..."

"These are families with businesses related to sorcerers, or whose offspring are directly descendants of Ban Ade's sorcerers..."

"Besides..."

After recounting the background of a long list of names in one breath, Lyra took a light breath.

Looking expectantly into the Witcher's deep blue Cat Eyes, she asked softly:

Will these things help you?

That would be incredibly helpful.

Although the school of thought is currently exhibiting a neutral stance, it is unlikely to directly target these nobles.

But just knowing these names is very useful.

At the very least, it would allow us to investigate beforehand whether the Witcher casualties in these noble territories were due to natural disasters or human error...

So Ailin looked at Lyra solemnly and said:

"This intelligence is very useful to us. Thank you, Lyra."

"It's good that it works." Lyra tilted her head slightly, feeling a little awkward under Ailin's gaze.

"After arriving in Arland, I have been thinking about how to repay your kindness in saving my life."

"I never expected this..."

"After all, my personal strength is too small, and I don't have much money..."

"Fortunately, a woman came to the temple to pray to a lady about two weeks ago..."

"The wife of one of the Duke of Arland's close vassals is now teaching the Duke's daughter etiquette and dance in Arland..."

"She is my aunt, my mother's younger sister..."

"It's been almost eight years. The last time we met, I was probably still a toddler just learning to speak. I don't know how she recognized me..."

Reunion with loved ones is a good thing, but Ailin also suspects there might be some conspiracy involved.

After all, once you're an adult, it's understandable if you can recognize someone after not seeing them for several or even ten years.

But before the age of ten, children change almost every year.

Therefore, after a few seconds of consideration, Ailin asked:

"Is it okay if people find out about your affairs?"

Lyra paused, then after a couple of seconds she understood what he meant, and gently shook her head:

"Thank you for your concern."

"I think she is trustworthy. I vaguely remember that my mother and her sister had a very good relationship in the past..."

"When she saw me this time and learned about my mother's situation, she was also very sad!"

"And..."

"I am now a priestess of the Temple of Melitele. As long as I stay here, no conspiracy can implicate me, and besides..."

"Haxor is already dead..."

Ailin nodded slightly and said nothing more.

After all, these are blood relatives, and saying more would be suspected of sowing discord.

Lyra adjusted the candle in her hand and glanced at the list:

"When I reunited with my aunt and we chatted, I heard that she was familiar with the nobles of Kedwen and Temeria, and that reminded me of you... you witchers..."

"I remember that the School of the Wolf was also troubled by the king and the wizards, so I asked her to help me gather some information."

"Because of the time constraints, for now only those nobles from Kedwen who have a grudge against the Witchers are included..."

"There are carrier pigeons in the temple that remember the location of Kaer village."

"Once I find the next list, I'll have a carrier pigeon deliver it to you..."

"Won't this put you in danger?" Ailin asked hesitantly.

Lyra shook her head and said:

"It's just asking about things that happened in the past. There are many noble ladies who are obsessed with the deeds of you witchers, so it's nothing."

"I'm avoiding Nannick just because I don't want to get her involved."

The Witcher thought about it carefully and realized that this was indeed the case.

The only normally active witchers on the Northern Continent are wolves, griffins, cats, and bears.

Apart from the School of the Cat, other Witchers do not get involved in politics, and their numbers are small.

Unless he abducted someone's son, he didn't have any significant interactions with ordinary nobles.

Moreover, the mystery and power of witchers make them a perfect topic of conversation for bored noblewomen.

So Ailin stopped being coy:

"Thank you, Lyra."

"This list is really helpful to us!"

"You're welcome. I'm glad I could help," Lyra shook her head and sighed. "This is all I can do right now."

Seeing the little priestess's forlorn expression, Ailin knew she was thinking about the past again. She sighed and gently patted her shoulder.

"I'm fine." Lyra's body trembled slightly. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then gave her her usual gentle smile.

"It's late, that's all I wanted to say, I won't disturb your rest any longer."

Ailin nodded slightly, about to carefully fold the list and bid farewell to the priest.

Sudden.

Out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to notice two names that the young priest hadn't mentioned, so he asked curiously:

"By the way, who are Wojvind Araya and Gerson Gardner on the list?"

Before he could finish speaking...

The dejected priest froze for a moment, her cheeks flushing red.

After hesitating for a few seconds, she whispered:

"Viscount Voivode Araya and Master Vesemir had a very heated argument in Ad Kalai over a... uh... flamboyant lady..."

"As for Earl Gerson Gardner..." The young priest hesitated for several seconds, looking troubled, before saying, "He once dueled with Master Vesemir for his then-fiancée..."

A flamboyant lady?

fiancée?

Ailin smacked his lips.

Good heavens!

Was Vesemir always this promiscuous?

But thinking about Robin's book, "The Witcher Master and the Nighon's One Thousand and One Nights," it doesn't seem so strange anymore.

"What was the result of the duel?" Ailin asked curiously.

Lyra said, "Master Vesemir won, and Baron Gerson Gardner spent half a year recovering from his injuries before getting married..."

"Still that fiancée?"

Lyra blushed and nodded.

"No wonder he fought a great battle against the Nighon Vesemir..." Ailin thought to himself.

"Count Gerson Earl's wife was the Duke's daughter; at the time, he was just a baron..." Lyra added.

Ailin understood immediately.

No wonder he was on Lyra's list.

Such humiliation over a title is an irreconcilable hatred.

"Da da da~"

The crisp, distant sound of footsteps echoed through the sanctuary's corridors.

The dim candlelight flickered in the witcher's hand, casting a huge shadow on the pure white wall.

but.

Even though there was only one candle in the corridor, it didn't feel eerie or terrifying at all.

Instead, as they stepped into the sanctuary, they felt a sense of lightness and relief.

It was as if another person attached to me had suddenly left.

"I didn't notice it when I came in the afternoon, but this reduced weight must be the curse of the big-eyed Evil God, right?"

He touched his chin with his free left hand and felt the prickly stubble.

Recently, this body seems to have started growing a beard.

Ignoring the unusual sensation, the Witcher recalled how he felt when he left the Sanctuary that afternoon.

"Does feeling less weight mean that more of the curse has been removed?"

"And where exactly is this weight attached?"

Is it a soul?

Ailin muttered to himself, not afraid that someone might suddenly reply to him in the dead of night.

"Squeak~"

The wooden door groaned in the candlelight.

A clear echo reverberated through the empty corridor.

The statue of the Goddess Meritellie remains the same as it was during the day.

Each of the three phases has some cracks and gaps.

Surprisingly, none of these cracks and gaps appeared on the three faces of the icon.

The young girl was charming and innocent, the pregnant woman was gentle and kind, and the old woman was benevolent and loving.

It looks just like a real person.

It's just unknown which master sculpted this statue, or whether it was created by the Divine Power of the Goddess Meritellie.

This is like the chicken-or-egg dilemma, one that even the priests who worship Meritellie cannot answer.

However, one thing is certain.

Meritellie was not ascended from a mortal.

Moreover, its history is not very long.

I stared at the statue and let my mind wander for a long time, but it didn't react.

Ailin sighed, found a corner, and knelt down.

Although he didn't show it in front of Vesemir and Vesemir.

However, he was still concerned about the unusual events of the afternoon and the strange behavior of High Priest Ianna that evening.

after all.

This curse is related to his ability to use Blink properly...

More importantly...

Ailin had a thought.

[Ding! The fragment of the Gate of Ad-Gates is being absorbed...]

It's been a month already, and the fragments of the Gate of Ad-Gais are still being absorbed.

After absorbing the Dead Merman Pearl, it showed no signs of waking up.

Although the only connection between the two is Ailin, he couldn't help but wonder if this curse was behind it.

Hopefully everything goes well~

Ailin sighed.

"Phew~"

The candle flame, encased in a crystal dome, was blown out.

The world was plunged into darkness.

"Ailin..."

"Ailin..."

Someone called to him in the darkness.

Whom are you calling?

Who is calling whom?

When the Witcher realized this, he suddenly floated up and opened his eyes abruptly.

A girl dressed in a simple gray dress was squatting in front of him, taking out a croissant, milk and two hard-boiled eggs from a basket next to her.

It's Lyra...

"Ailin, you're awake?" She smiled gently at Ailin.

The sunlight shone on her dark brown hair, which was styled into a bun, making it look like golden threads.

"Woke up?"

Ailin looked blank for a few seconds, but then his expression turned serious.

He suddenly stood up and looked out at the azure sky through the open window and the tall, lush ash trees.

"Chirp chirp~"

The magpie cries out, the sun is high in the sky.

"What's wrong?"

Lyra looked at the strangely behaving Witcher with suspicion.

"I... I fell asleep..." Ailin responded unconsciously and blankly.

"Pfft~" Lyra chuckled, glancing at a spot on the ground. "Of course you're asleep, and you're sleeping soundly!"

Ailin followed the priest's gaze.

A pool of glistening liquid reflected the sunlight.

It was obvious that this was drool he drooled while he was asleep.

There's quite a lot.

Ailin blushed, but before he could explain, he saw Lyra take a cloth out of the basket and wipe the liquid clean.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone else."

The Witcher has seen many people say this openly, but secretly spread the word about the agreement to keep it a secret.

But looking at the little priestess's gentle smile, Ailin inexplicably felt that she would really keep their secret.

No matter what the secret is, no matter what the cost...

This strange feeling startled Ailin, and he almost forgot the main point he was supposed to be focusing on.

How could a Witcher who had been sleeping instead of meditating for over a month possibly fall asleep in such a shabby place?

But just as he was about to speak...

"Hurry up and eat, High Priest Ianna should be here soon." Lyra set out the food and then squatted down to watch him.

Ailin thought about it and realized that there was no point in telling Lyra about it; it would only cause her worry.

Take a deep breath, then exhale to calm yourself down, and then squat down to enjoy the breakfast that Lyra brought.

The milk is warm.

Croissants not only have the unique aroma of freshly baked bread, but also seem to have the taste of spring sunshine.

After a quick breakfast, Lyra tidied up the dishes, nodded, and left.

As Ailin waited for the High Priest's arrival, he intently examined the holy statue, which was exactly the same as yesterday.

The young girl was charming and innocent, the pregnant woman was gentle and kind, and the old woman was benevolent and loving.

It looks just like a real person.

"Is that the voice calling to me yours?"