Hated by Yennefer?

The warm spring sun shines.

Inside the temple, lush green grass and vibrant, colorful flowers are everywhere...

The thick, tall trees cast shadows, and the cascading waterfall brought refreshing mist.

The ancient and solemn palaces were adorned with vibrant life by vines blooming with pale purple flowers...

As the goddess of harvest and the Mother of All Things.

The scenery inside the Temple of Melitele is breathtaking.

The demon hunter, carrying two swords, walked on the gravel road, smelling the faint fragrance of flowers, but he didn't pay any attention to the scenery in front of him.

He was thinking.

If something unexpected happens May Festival, in what areas might problems arise?

"Without a doubt, the ritual is the most likely source of problems..." the Witcher thought.

According to Ianna's description yesterday.

There are two rituals that are effective May Festival.

One is Exorcism Ritual to drive away demons and beasts, and the other is Ritual to Appease Specters by using the power of the Goddess Meritellie.

"The former started yesterday, and the day of the festival is just the end."

"So..."

"The most likely source of the problem is the material used in the Exorcism Ritual —the urine of Wyvern."

"If there's something wrong with this thing, it could attract some monsters when the common people are having a blast in the wild on the day of the festival, which would definitely cause a disaster."

"But as long as the urine is real, Wyvern without natural enemies are indeed a very safe choice."

"But..."

"This has nothing to do with me. In the next few days, Ianna and the Old Duke will definitely bring people to re-examine the area, and may even set up a few more Exorcism Ritual along the parade route."

"Even if someone deliberately disrupts the ceremony, the Old Duke, having been reminded, will certainly increase the frequency of patrols and inspections in the next few days..."

"As for the second ritual..." The Witcher frowned and thought for a moment.

The Arland's May Festival Revelry is famous throughout the Northern Continent, and many people come from far and wide to attend it every year.

Even Mary, Vesemir's little laborer, when she first arrived in the city, insisted on staying until May Festival.

It goes without saying.

This ceremony must have been held for many years.

In theory, it should be very stable.

Now that the Old Duke will definitely send more people, the probability of something going wrong is very low.

but...

"If something goes wrong, it will definitely be a big problem!"

The Witcher pondered deeply:

"This ritual is intended to deliver, or rather, to eliminate, the resentful demons that emerged from the bodies of those who died in war and plague..."

"The biggest hidden danger is those restless, easily provoked demons..."

Thinking of what Ianna mentioned yesterday about the number of humans who have died violently near Arland in recent years.

Ailin couldn't help but shiver.

to be honest.

When he first heard yesterday that the wilderness of Arland was teeming with spirits, he had been envious of the spirits' Purification Spirit.

But after a moment's thought, he abandoned the dangerous idea.

When monsters are really weak, being in a group makes them happy.

Even ordinary monsters are like this.

And the spirits that can teleport behind you at any time, and have a chance to possess the skills they had in life...

For Ailin, facing more than five at once is far more dangerous than facing a single Greater Griffin.

even if...

He possesses Specter Oil, three swords, and a demon spirit...

"No..."

The Witcher shook his head sharply, trying to banish a terrifying image from his mind.

"Don't worry about the Old Duke and Ianna's actions. I need to prepare more Specter Oil these next few days just in case."

He had a strong premonition.

There will definitely be problems with the ceremony on May Festival.

Although he didn't know...

When both the Temple of Melitele and the nobles of Arland are on high alert, where will the crisis come from...?

"Magic is chaos, art, and science."

"It is a curse, a blessing, and progress."

"Everything depends on the person using the magic, the way they use it, and the purpose of using it."

"Moreover, magic is everywhere, permeating our surroundings, and within our reach..."

As they approached Vesemir's residence, Mary's gentle voice drifted over, accompanied by the Little Monster's voice:

"Sister Mary, you said that magic can really make people more beautiful, is that true?"

"Of course it's true," Mary said. "If you study hard, appearance is the easiest thing to change."

"With the Anti-aging Potion, even eternal youth is not a difficult thing for Sorceress nowadays..."

"Yes, yes, I will definitely study magic well!" The Little Monster's childish, hoarse voice was very firm.

"Hahaha," Mary laughed heartily, "I believe in you, you are very talented..."

"Alright, now let's continue looking at this etching and see how to extend the fingers. Pay attention to the illustrative arrows and the runes explaining the specific steps..."

"Vort, caelme. Ys, veloe..."

Hearing Mary's voice as she taught, the Witcher turned a corner and stopped.

Not far away.

The entrance to Vesemir's residence.

Mary, dressed in a priestess's grey gown, sat on a chair, holding a small child draped in black cloth, pointing to a book and teaching it word by word.

The bulges and dents in the black cloth, along with the awkward pronunciation, echoed Mary's voice.

It's obvious.

The Little Monster and Mary got along very well.

Moreover, the Little Monster, who was originally illiterate, learned very quickly, and in no time at all, he had already begun to learn Elder Speech.

"Apart from when she was teaching me alchemy in Kaer Morhen, Mary seems to teach everyone very quickly..."

"The Witcher apprentices of the Witcher Company learned several potion recipes and the Ice Spear Technique in just one or two months..."

Ailin didn't rush to disturb them.

Mary waited for more than ten minutes before approaching the Little Monster, allowing it to practice its spellcasting gestures.

"Da da da~"

The deliberately visible footsteps made both of them look towards the courtyard.

The Little Monster was covered in black cloth, so its expression was not visible; it simply tightened the cloth covering its face.

As Mary recognized the person's identity, a blush suddenly appeared on her face, as if she had thought of something.

"Ailin, what brings you here? Are you here to see Lady Vesemir?" Mary picked up the Little Monster and came over. "She left this morning to handle the production of the Necrophage Oil and to arrange for people to negotiate the price of the potion with Duke Mason. She won't be back until at least tomorrow..."

Is Vesemir not here...?

The Witcher paused in his steps.

But it doesn't matter, the basic ingredients for the potion Blizzard are all in the Icon Room.

"I came to see you." Ailin shook her head.

Mary paused for a moment, and before she could say anything, she heard the Witcher continue:

Do you have the portable crucible and other alchemical equipment with you?

"I'd like to borrow it for a moment..."

Before the Witcher could finish speaking, a faint, inexplicable disappointment gently tickled her heart.

However, she quickly suppressed these vague emotions, smiled, and said:

"Wait a moment, I'll go to the inner room to get it..."

He then hurriedly went into the house.

But as she reached the door, she suddenly remembered something.

Wasn't Ailin learning rituals from the High Priest of the temple?

The learning ritual doesn't seem to require potions, unless...

Instantly.

Mary felt her throat was a little dry.

She turned stiffly, like a rusty door latch, and asked:

"You've come up with another new recipe?"

really.

The Witcher blinked his beautiful Cat Eyes and nodded casually:

"I went out and killed a Giant Ghoul yesterday, and I had some insights. I came up with a few recipes..."

Some insights... a few recipes...

Mary: "?"

Her already large eyes widened even further as she stared at the Witcher in disbelief.

Is this human language?

Is there any connection between killing Giant Ghoul and potion recipes?

I've never heard of alchemists creating alchemical formulas this way.

But thinking about it...

The last time Ailin created an alchemy recipe, he was riding a horse and it just came to him.

That seems reasonable?

defeat.

A strong sense of frustration replaced the inexplicable emotions she had just experienced, and occupied Mary's entire mind.

She hadn't even fully mastered the recipe Ailin had taught her last time, yet he had already created a new one...

That makes no sense.

This is also because in the past few days I have been learning Fire Magic from Vesemir while also teaching Yennefer the basics of magic.

But is she really a genius?

Does she really have a talent for alchemy?

She could never seem to catch up with Ailin, in any way...

Oh, right!

Mary had a flash of inspiration.

The last time Ailin came up with a recipe was after killing a monster...

Could it be...?

"Could it be that the methods taught by my mentor and in the books are all wrong?"

"Is hunting monsters the right way to create alchemy recipes?"

"The most powerful alchemist must also be the most powerful monster hunter!"

The more Mary thought about it, the more convinced she became that this must be the real answer.

After all, even Vesemir had killed countless monsters.

"Mary? Are you... alright?"

Watching the girl's expressions shift rapidly—sometimes sighing, sometimes feeling lonely, sometimes excited...

The Witcher felt a strange chill run down his spine.

"It's alright, it's alright, I'll go get you the crucible..."

When Mary came to her senses and felt Ailin's gaze, her cheeks flushed red, and she ran into the house.

"Da da da~"

The soft footsteps faded into the distance.

At this moment.

Suddenly, only Ailin and Yennefer remained in the courtyard.

to be honest.

Logically speaking, Ailin was the one who adopted the Little Monster.

But in reality...

Due to talent and gender.

Mary was the closest to her, while Ailin had very little contact with her.

after all.

Although Yennefer was very famous in her previous life, he also liked the role very much.

But after the initial novelty of encountering "celebrities" and collecting "SSRs" wore off...

To Yennefer, Ailin was more of a pitiful person who was rejected and abused by her father.

She was just a quiet child, yet so sensible that it broke my heart.

So when it was just the two of them left, Ailin didn't know what to say.

There was a few seconds of silence.

The Witcher looked at the Little Monster, who lay motionless like a black statue, its body tightly covered by a black cloth, and asked in as soft a voice as possible:

What's life like in the temple?

"Fine..."

Is magic difficult to learn?

"Good..."

"Don't be afraid if you encounter any problems. Just ask Lady Vesemir. Although she seems cold, she's actually a very nice person..."

"Good..."

Okay, that's the end of the topic.

The Witcher scratched his head, slightly embarrassed.

It was clear that the Little Monster, completely shrouded in black cloth, didn't seem to want to talk to him.

He coughed twice, glanced at Vesemir's residence with a discreet look, and stopped talking.

fortunately.

Just then, Mary came out of the house carrying a large bag and rescued him.

"E... Ailin," Mary gasped for breath, "I've packed the cauldron, alchemy pen, and other things you might need in my bag."

"Thank you, Mary," the witcher said softly, taking the large leather bag.

"Actually, you can also make potions here," Mary smiled upon hearing Ailin's thanks. "My mentor has also set up an Alchemy Room here, exactly the same as the one in Kaer Morhen."

"However, the variety of magical materials in reserve is not very large..."

"What kinds are there?" Ailin asked curiously.

If he had all the materials, he really wouldn't need to go back to get them; after all, it was the goddess's sanctuary.

"The Sword Oil, the potion, and that alchemical bomb called North Wind that you've made..." Mary counted on her fingers, "... we have all the ingredients needed for these recipes, but that's all we have left..."

The overlap isn't high, so we still need to go back and refine it... Ailin shook his head.

etc...

"Do you have both bear fat and flea beetle?" he asked.

"There are quite a few," Mary thought for a moment, then asked curiously, "You want to refine Specter Oil?"

No...

You want to refine Specter Oil...

Ailin thought to himself.

Specter Oil is very simple.

He had already taught Mary on the way here.

As for Ailin.

Moon Dust is also a powerful tool for dealing with demons and spirits.

After he finished refining the Blizzard, he planned to focus on refining a few more Moon Dust, just in case.

After organizing his thoughts, the Witcher recounted last night's "dream," the High Priest's reaction this morning, and his own speculations to Mary.

"Is there no way to remove that Great Old One's Curse?"

After listening to Ailin's account, Mary asked with concern.

"It's not clear yet," Ailin smiled gently, offering words of comfort, "But it should be resolved by May Festival ..."

"Sigh..." Mary sighed softly, somewhat disappointed. "I never expected that such a rare opportunity to celebrate May Festival in Arland would turn into such an unexpected event..."

"But..."

Mary looked intently into Ailin's eyes and said:

"I can't help with anything else, but I'll do my best to refine the Specter Oil these next few days..."

"When my advisor comes back, I'll talk to her about this. Maybe she'll have another solution..."

Ailin nodded, and just as he was about to leave, he saw the Little Monster.

He thought for a moment and said:

"By the way, could you please ask Lady Vesemir if she could send Yennefer and Royce back to Kaer Morhen..."

"Although this is the temple of the goddess, but..."

The Witcher paused:

"Kaer Morhen is safer right now."

"You'd better also..."

"I'm staying here," Mary interrupted. "I can protect myself, and don't you still need someone to make Specter Oil?"

"However..." she glanced at the Little Monster, "I will talk to my mentor about this."

Ailin could only nod upon hearing this.

He glanced at the Little Monster again, then picked up his large bag and left.

The witcher's figure disappeared from sight.

Mary looked down at Yennefer and asked:

Are you afraid of Ailin?

The black cloth mass moved.

Mary knew she was shaking her head and asked curiously:

"Then why didn't you say goodbye to him?"

"When I saw him here, you didn't say more than a few words to him..."

The figure in black shrank back, remained silent for a few seconds, and then said:

"I wasn't afraid of him..."

"I just... I just don't want to talk to him like this anymore..."