Vesemir's Little Note

Unlike Kaer Morhen, where the library of the Temple of Melitele is just a slightly larger room in the castle, it is a three-story building.

The tall, gray-white granite exterior walls are solemn and dignified.

The lush green vines and the purple flowers blooming on them soften the solemnity, making it feel more approachable.

Moreover, the biggest difference compared to the library in Kaer Morhen is...

There are people here.

So many people!

Many young girls, women, and old women dressed in the temple's grey dresses moved about silently and hurried along.

When they saw the only demon hunter in the crowd carrying two swords, they only glanced at him strangely, at most nodding in greeting, but did not come over to speak.

Polite and restrained.

In a daze.

The Witcher felt as if he had returned to the university library in his previous life, and now it was the time to get up early and grab a seat for the final exam.

really.

This so-called "library" was only slightly smaller in scale compared to the library of the previous life.

But the atmosphere of reverence for knowledge is perhaps even more pronounced.

After all, the Temple of Melitele is skilled in herbal medicine, medical arts, and midwifery...

Most of the knowledge in the library carries the weight of life and death, responsibility, inheritance, and sacrifice.

This atmosphere even made the Witcher unconsciously use the superb footwork of the School of the Cat.

He silently approached an elderly woman sitting at the entrance of the library, responsible for registration, and asked in a low voice:

"Hello, have you seen Master Vesemir... a witcher who also carries two swords?"

The old woman raised her eyebrows and glanced at him like an old headmaster from a past life.

Then he pointed to the sky with his right index finger and extended three more fingers.

The witcher nodded, whispered his thanks, and then headed towards the wooden staircase leading to the library.

"Knock knock knock~"

The higher you go, the fewer people there are in the library.

When we got to the third floor, there was even another old woman sitting in the narrow doorway, dozing off, seemingly preventing unauthorized people from entering.

If you want to go in, you have to ask her to move aside.

certainly.

With Ailin's skills, he could infiltrate silently, whether it was a front flip or a back flip.

There were even magical items given by the Elf Princess that could grant invisibility, such as "Nightfall," Fog Bead, and the ability to transform the hand bones of Foglet into mist...

In the blink of an eye.

The Witcher then devised no fewer than ten methods of stealth infiltration.

He then looked up into the inner room and, finding no trace of the Witcher Master, chose the simplest and most unadorned option.

"Squeak~"

The wooden planks beneath my feet were groaning.

The old woman creased her brow, but did not wake up.

"Cough cough~"

After coughing twice more, the wrinkles on the old woman's face smoothed out, but she still didn't open her eyes.

"Herbal identification and commonly used medicine prescriptions are on the first floor..."

"Medical books, classic case studies, and diagnostic criteria are on the second floor, as are the categorized issues that may arise during childbirth..."

"The third floor is not a place for children like you. While you're still young, you should learn as many skills as possible to make a living, so that you won't starve to death after you leave the temple..."

The old woman talked on and on, leaving the Witcher bewildered, and he didn't open his eyes the entire time.

They were very familiar with the process.

Out of politeness, the Witcher intended to wait until she finished speaking.

Unexpectedly, the old woman's voice gradually softened as she spoke, and her head slowly tilted to the side, as if she was about to fall asleep again.

Left with no other option, the Witcher could only interrupt:

"Hello, I'm looking for Master Vesemir. Is he here right now?"

The old woman then half-opened one eye, her gaze shifting from the witcher's eyes to the twin swords strapped to his back. She then shifted her chair to one side and said:

"Keep walking along this road, the old files are all near the large windowsill..."

"Thank you." The witcher nodded slightly in thanks, then walked past her.

but...

I don't know if it's just my imagination.

As the Witcher brushed past the old woman, he seemed to hear her let out a soft sigh.

However, when Ailin turned his head at the sound, he saw that the old woman had already closed her eyes and fallen asleep again.

It was as if that sigh was just his illusion.

"Was it because you were disturbed while you were dozing off?" The Witcher's intuition told him it wasn't that simple.

But the old woman had already fallen into a deep sleep.

The witcher stood there silently for a few seconds, her back slightly hunched, before turning to search for Vesemir's whereabouts.

"Da da da~"

Footsteps echoed through the empty room.

A slightly low echo emanated from the old bookshelf, stirring up a hazy layer of dust.

The light was somewhat dim.

A faint smell of decaying wood filled the air.

It perfectly matches the feel of this old, aged bookstore.

As the witcher walked, he glanced at the dusty books on the bookshelves on both sides.

After walking past a few bookshelves, he understood why the third floor did not allow the temple's apprentice priests, apothecaries, and doctors to come.

A list of deaths in the Amaveit's Rebellion, common causes of death Black Death, and an examination of the root causes of the peasant uprising following the Falga's Rebellion...

Amavit is the son of the current King of Temeria. He was murdered after having an affair with the Earl's wife, which sparked a rebellion among the kingdom's nobles.

The Black Death may seem like just a disease, but even witchers have heard of the atrocities committed by nobles against commoners out of panic during the Black Death epidemic...

Burning people alive and burying them were only the mildest parts of the process.

As for the last one...

You can tell what kind of book this is just by hearing the title, without even reading the contents...

Without a doubt.

The third floor mainly houses forbidden books—the kind of books that, if taken out and discovered by nobles, would result in beheading or hanging.

certainly.

As time went on, such banned books became fewer and fewer.

It's not because the content isn't taboo.

The main reason is that, due to the relatively long period of time, many of the individuals involved, such as Amavit, had lost relatives within several generations.

for example.

On the next few bookshelves, there are many realistic records of humans' betrayal, slaughter, and conspiracies against elves.

This might have caused a huge uproar back then, but now...

Now.

The era of glory for figures like Ian Siddi is now very, very long gone...

The third floor of the library is neither small nor large.

Even as the Witcher browsed the scrolls on the bookshelves, he soon heard the rustling of leaves in the wind and looked up to see the sunlight streaming into the dimly lit library through the window.

And a witcher whose long shadow was cast by the sunlight.

"It's Vesemir..."

The Witcher Master was surrounded by a high pile of books, with a small hill of extinguished candles not far away.

It seems that for the past few days, he has been searching for traces of the Wild Hunt on parchment and paper, accompanied by these candles.

"Da da da~"

With the faint sound of footsteps, the figure drew closer and closer.

Then suddenly, Ailin realized a problem.

Even though he was already so close, he didn't hear the "swish" sound of turning pages, so...

Using the techniques of the School of the Cat Two-Handed Sword in a few steps, he approached silently and swiftly.

Immediately afterwards.

Carefully navigate around the haphazardly arranged piles of books.

really.

The Witcher Master was leaning back in his wooden chair with his head tilted to the side.

A thick, heavy-looking book lay open on my lap.

to be honest.

This is a difficult sleeping position to maintain.

Those who don't possess the physical attributes of Witcher Master and lack a certain level of meditation skills simply cannot do this.

"Didn't you say that mature witchers use meditation instead of sleep?"

Ailin glanced at Vesemir's face, which was hidden by Black Wide-brimmed Hat, and shook his head helplessly.

Then he turned his head away.

Opposite the Witcher Master was a large, open balcony, where bright spring sunshine and a gentle breeze quietly slipped in from outside.

This is indeed a great place to feel sleepy in the spring.

The sun was shining brightly, the spring breeze was gentle, and it was quiet and undisturbed...

Even Ailin was infected and yawned, wanting to have a good sleep.

Take a deep breath to dispel drowsiness and perk up.

The Witcher didn't rush to wake Vesemir, but instead looked down at the pile of books in front of the Witcher Master.

Hmm~

The Witcher let out a soft "hmm" in his mind, bent down, and picked up a piece of paper from the ground where the candlestick was pressing down.

It had a list of books and page numbers on it, for example...

"The White Ship: A Message of Friendship or a Spread of War?" (Page 121)

"The Evil Beneath Ian Siddi's Innocent Appearance" (pages 31 and 93)

Conjunction of Spheres and the Spiral, page 167

The Complete Book of "Notes of Wild Hunt Researcher"

The Complete Book of Ghost Knights Tales

I wrote the titles and page numbers of more than thirty books.

The Witcher's eyes swept across the room and spotted three thick stacks of books that were noticeably neater than the other small mountain of books. Considering the time it took to organize these books from the vast collection room, Ailin quickly calculated...

Even with Nannick and Lyra's help, Vesemir must have been working day and night these past few days to review and organize the files in order to select these thirty-odd books from so many and mark their page numbers.

If that's the case.

Vesemir was definitely not slacking off...

Ailin, who had wronged the Witcher Master, sighed softly and glanced at the Black Wide-brimmed Hat with some guilt.

How exhausted must one be to find that even meditation's energy-restoring effects are ineffective?

I thought about it.

The effects of the new potion don't necessarily need to be tested today.

then.

The Witcher decided not to disturb Vesemir any longer and got up to return to the Sanctuary to continue refining Moon Dust and Specter Oil.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

With a jolt, the Black Wide-brimmed Hat fluttered down and was gently caught by a hand covered in calluses and scars.

Without his hat to shield him from the sun, the Witcher Master raised his other hand to cover himself.

After her bloodshot amber Cat Eyes expanded and contracted twice, she finally managed to vaguely make out the young witcher standing before her.

"...Um... Ay... Lin..." Vesemir rubbed his eyes, "Ailin!"

With a "clunk".

Vesemir immediately stood up, holding his Black Wide-brimmed Hat.

The chair he was sitting on was lifted up by inertia, and its two legs slammed onto the ground with a loud thud.

"Am I... am I asleep?"

Vesemir looked around somewhat blankly.

Seeing that the Witcher Master was still a little sleepy, Ailin said softly:

"Rest a little longer, Master Vesemir. The Wild Hunt's files aren't that urgent..."

Vesemir wiped his face, cleared his head, and then raised his hand to interrupt:

"I'm fine, don't worry about me."

"I once went seven days and seven nights without sleep to hunt a griffin. It's only been a few days now. It was just a moment of carelessness."

"If we work a little harder, we can finish organizing it before the May Festival, without affecting our planned schedule."

"By the way," he looked up at the young witcher, "Why are you here? Don't you need to learn the ritual from Ianna?"

Ailin sighed inwardly upon hearing this.

Your heavy dark circles under your eyes aren't as tough as your lips, Master Vesemir...

However, looking at the expression on Vesemir's face, he knew he couldn't persuade the stubborn old man, so he told him the truth about the possible accidents that might happen during the May Festival.

Then, while the Witcher Master was pondering, Ailin remembered the purpose of his visit, glanced at the bright sunshine outside the window, and invited:

"Master Vesemir, it seems we haven't had a sword duel since leaving Kaer Morhen ..."

Before he could finish speaking...

As if he had caught a key word, Vesemir raised an eyebrow and looked up at the young witcher:

"You've never been this enthusiastic about sword fighting before, what's gotten into you today?"

Ailin smiled, patted the reagent pouch at his waist, and said:

"I've successfully concocted two new potions..."

A new potion?!

Before he could finish speaking, Vesemir, full of enthusiasm, grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward the stairwell.

"Walk!"

"I know a secluded spot in the temple that's perfect for sword fighting."

Helpless, Ailin could only follow the excited Witcher Master as he was led outside.

fortunately.

As he approached the stairwell, Vesemir slowed his pace, released Ailin's wrist, and quietly slipped out through the gap beside the sleeping old woman.

He also raised his index finger to his lips, signaling Ailin to be quiet and to walk softly.

Immediately following.

Only after leaving the library did I finally relax, as if I had escaped some monster.

"Master Vesemir, who was that old woman just now?" Ailin looked back at the third floor of the library, which was shrouded in shadow and vines, and asked curiously.

Vesemir paused in his rapid stride and said:

"That was the previous High Priest of the Temple of Melitele."

Who was Ianna's High Priest before?

The Witcher was taken aback.

Wasn't the High Priest of the Temple of Melitele a position with a lifetime appointment?

besides...

Why did the previous High Priest of the temple sigh at him?

Was it intentional or unintentional?

As Ailin whether there was any deeper meaning in the old woman's sigh, Vesemir, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped.

"We're here!" he said.

So close?

The young witcher looked up and realized that they were now in an open area behind the library, hidden by trees.

Looking up, you can see the balcony on the third floor with its doors wide open.

"Clang!"

"Click~"

"Click~"

Ailin looked in the direction of the sound.

Vesemir picked two straight branches, each about 1.5 meters long, from the ground.

He swiftly drew his sword and chopped off the broken branches and vines, then tossed one to Ailin.

"Come on, Master Ailin."

"Let me see how much you've improved in the last six months..."

The young witcher instinctively took the wooden stick, then paused, stunned.

Using wooden sticks instead of real swords?

What kind of gameplay is this?