Yennefer Didn't Hurt at All

Time flies.

Under the regular rhythm of life, it seems like only a blink of an eye before the day of May Festival celebrations arrives.

"Ailin, the last group of men sent by the Duke have arrived!"

A cool female voice came from behind. The witcher, surrounded by blue bottles and jars, was momentarily dazed. He turned around and saw Vesemir.

She stood at the doorway with her arms crossed, her brows furrowed, her eyes filled with heartache.

"The last group?" Ailin asked instinctively, still in a daze.

Vesemir rubbed her forehead, sighed, and said:

"Tonight is May Festival celebration, and these are naturally the last group of people to transport the Sword Oil back."

ah?

Ailin was stunned.

Is today already April 30th?

After emptying Ianna's ritual and no longer having strange dreams, the Witcher left the goddess's sanctuary.

In fact.

Regardless of whether the voice that seemed to be the Goddess Meritellie spoke of May Festival, it meant that the Gaze of the Great Old One would be resolved on May Festival.

On May Festival, an unexpected monster uprising and bloodshed will occur.

The Old Duke and the High Priest were both ready.

Not only did the number of guards maintaining order during the carnival parade nearly increase fivefold, but the number of exorcism rituals along the route also doubled...

After learning that Ailin possessed a Sword Oil effective against ghostly creatures, the Old Duke went on an unlimited spree, purchasing Specter Oil at a price of fifty Oren per bottle.

To be honest, the cost of this Sword Oil is less than one or two Oren per bottle.

It goes without saying.

How well prepared are the two sides for the potential threat of May Festival?

In his spare time from alchemy, this even made Ailin a little worried.

What kind of responsibility would Ianna bear if nothing happened May Festival, and she believed him and took full responsibility?

The nobles of Arland, who were forced to shoulder a large amount of additional expenses and manpower, are unlikely to be convinced by the statement that "all crises have been prevented."

However, even if that voice appeared to him in a dream again, denying the May Festival crisis, these preparations could not be withdrawn.

So he could only prepare for the day with a mindset that was neither hoping for trouble on May Festival nor wishing for everything to be alright.

Therefore, to make it easier to concoct medicines, Ailin moved into one of the guest rooms in Vesemir's residence.

And for this limited-time bounty of fifty Oren for a bottle of Specter Oil.

For so many days, Ailin was completely absorbed in it and lost track of time.

after all.

Such an easy way to make money is hard to find. After returning to Kaer Morhen, he may be without income for a long time.

While the Monster Hunting Legion can request funding from the Academy, sometimes it's definitely not as convenient as using their own money.

Besides.

The more soldiers the Old Duke had, the more they were equipped with Specter Oil.

If an accident occurs during the May Festival, the number of casualties will certainly be greatly reduced.

to be honest.

He had a very good impression of the city of Arland.

"Knock knock knock~"

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

Smack!

A snap of the fingers.

The door was opened.

"Master Ailin ... Lady Vesemir ..."

Several knights in leather armor carried in a large box, greeted the two people in the room, and then quietly and carefully placed the Specter Oil on the ground into the box.

The knight in full armor, after counting the batch of Sword Oil, walked up to Ailin and handed him a leather receipt.

The Witcher is very familiar with this.

This is a deposit certificate from the Vivaldi Bank.

After taking the deposit slip and unfolding it, I found it written in complex Elder Speech: 50,000 Oren.

In the lower right corner, Duke Mason signed his name in standard Noble Cursive, below which was a gold-flecked wax seal bearing an iris emblem.

"Sir Arthur, what is this?" The Witcher was taken aback.

"A deposit certificate from the Vivaldi Bank," said Arthur, the Old Duke's captain of the guard. "This is the payment His Majesty the Duke agreed upon..."

Fifty thousand Oren is equivalent to one thousand bottles of Specter Oil...

In the past few days, he has refined a maximum of two hundred bottles, so Mary refined seven hundred bottles.

Ailin thought it was a bit outrageous.

Although she started refining alchemy a few days earlier than me, her alchemy level was what it was; at most, she would have twenty or thirty more bottles than me.

Arthur seemed to see the confusion in his expression and said:

"You have 334 doses of Specter Oil here. Ms. Margarita hasn't picked up hers for today yet, but there are currently 472 doses..."

It was still much more than he had expected.

However, the key issue now is not that, but why the Old Duke gave an extra seven or eight thousand Oren.

then.

Ailin held the smooth leather deposit slip in her hand and looked at Arthur.

Arthur waved his hand, signaling his men, who had already filled the Sword Oil container, to leave first, and said:

"His Excellency wishes that you and Master Vesemir may remain in Arland tonight to participate in the May Festival celebrations."

I understand.

This is another commission.

The Old Duke was quite generous; he commissioned two Witcher Master, each charging three to four thousand Oren.

This is considered a top-tier demon-hunting request.

And they even gave it to me in advance.

I wonder what Ianna said to the Old Duke back then. They had prepared so much, yet they were still so cautious.

However, Ailin had no intention of leaving in the first place. Even without the bounty, he would still have to participate in the May Festival celebrations.

As for Vesemir...

Ailin thought for a moment, then shook his head inwardly.

Vesemir will definitely participate.

therefore.

Ailin naturally put the deposit slip away. "Please Duke Mason for us."

Arthur nodded slightly, bowed, and then walked out the door.

They must be heading to Mary's Alchemy Room.

"Speaking of which..." Ailin thought to herself, "Ever since we moved here, I've been so engrossed in making medicine that I haven't seen Mary much..."

He realized that the number of portions of Mary's Specter Oil he had prepared was more than a hundred more than he had expected.

After greeting Lady Vesemir, he followed her.

The place where Ailin concocted potions was actually the guest room Vesemir had arranged for him, and the alchemical utensils he used were the portable crucibles he always used.

Mary's Alchemy Room, though cramped and equipped with only one set of tools, was a marvel of engineering.

However, for the sake of ventilation, it was placed at the other end of the corridor, which is not close to the living area.

This is another reason why the Witcher has been here for so many days but hasn't seen Mary much.

So, because of the long distance, the knight who went ahead was carrying a large box and was caught up by Ailin when he reached the Alchemy Room.

"Knock knock knock~"

There was a knock on the wooden door.

"Lady Margarita, we are Duke Mason's Guard Knight, here to retrieve the potion," Arthur called out.

Not long after.

The sound of a wooden chair scraping against the floor came from inside the door.

After a considerable amount of time, the wooden door finally creaked open.

The knights bowed and then entered one after another.

Ailin and Vesemir, who had somehow followed them, also followed behind.

"Ailin! What brings you here?"

Before the Witcher even approached the Alchemy Room, he heard a gasp.

Immediately following was a loud crash.

"Thump!"

Ailin looked in the direction of the sound.

Beside the alchemy table, a small bundle wrapped tightly in black cloth sat on the ground, stretching out two tiny, dark hands.

A small hand covered her forehead, as if she had bumped into the corner of the alchemy table in a panic.

The other small hand covered the area of her face that was already covered by a black cloth, its purpose unknown.

"Yennefer? Weren't you already sent back to Kaer Morhen with Royce?"

After speaking.

Ailin subconsciously looked at Vesemir.

The Sorceress leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. "Royce has been sent back..."

So it really is Yennefer!

"Ailin ... Duke Mason's knight is still here..." Mary gently helped the Little Monster up and carefully reminded him.

The Witcher fell silent, watching as the knights neatly arranged bottles of blue Specter Oil into a velvet-lined box.

At this moment.

Ailin suddenly noticed that the Alchemy Room was not small.

Although not as good as the one in Kaer Morhen, it is far beyond the category of "crowded".

Besides the Specter Oil, there was another crucible exactly like the one he used next to the alchemy table.

Next to the crucible, in a basket, were small white flowers with withered petals.

There was also a large jar with most of the white, solidified grease scraped off.

Those are processed flea fern fern and bear fat.

The crucible on the alchemy table still reflected a blue sheen, clearly indicating that a pot of Specter Oil had just been refined.

The Witcher then glanced at the Little Monster sitting motionless in Mary's lap, as if it were playing dead.

A somewhat outrageous possibility came to mind.

But even Specter Oil requires the participation of magic, albeit in small amounts.

But the Little Monster has only just begun learning Elder Speech and basic spellcasting gestures...

Is the possibility he thought of really possible?

The Old Duke's Guard Knight seemed to notice the eerie atmosphere in the room, and they placed the Specter Oil much faster than they had at Ailin's place.

Before long, under the watchful eyes of three pairs of eyes, the box was closed.

Immediately following.

Arthur nodded to Vesemir and Ailin, then hesitated for a second before nodding slightly in the direction of the Little Monster, and then hurriedly left with the Old Duke's guards.

"Bang!"

He also politely closed the door gently.

The room was silent for a few seconds.

Vesemir still stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the wall, but she had a smile on her lips and seemed quite interested.

For some reason, this reminded Ailin of the wicked Ianna.

Mary held the Little Monster, her head bowed, looking pitiful.

This left the Witcher momentarily speechless, unsure of where to begin.

He glanced at the portable crucible and Specter Oil materials beside the alchemy table, thought for a moment, and was about to speak.

"I'm sorry, I begged Sister Mary to let me stay without telling you..." the Little Monster's hoarse voice rang out.

Although Ailin couldn't see the expression on her face because she was wrapped in a black cloth.

However, just by listening to their voices, you can tell they are timid and afraid.

"Am I that scary?" the Witcher couldn't help but ask himself.

Then he cleared his throat and looked at Mary:

"Is that why, as soon as I arrived, you said the Alchemy Room was too cramped to accommodate two people concocting medicine at the same time, and then you even stopped me from actively moving the materials for the Specter Oil into my room?"

Mary looked up, gave Ailin a silly grin, and didn't say anything.

Ailin shook his head helplessly, then looked at the small cauldron on the ground and asked softly:

"Has Yennefer also learned how to make Specter Oil?"

"That's right!" It wasn't the Little Monster who answered, but Mary, who was full of interest. "Ailin, you have no idea how talented Yennefer is in alchemy and magic..."

I know...

Ailin watched Mary boast about the Little Monster's talents, her face flushed, and thought to herself.

She survived the Battle of Sodden Hill, in which twenty-two sorcerers from the Northern Kingdoms participated and at least fourteen died, and later became a member of the Conclave of Sorceresses, which stirred up the world...

His magical talent was naturally very strong.

As for alchemy...

It wasn't specifically mentioned in the original work or the game, but even the wealthiest dwarven bankers were willing to serve Yennefer, and the Giancadi family among them even received her financial support.

It is conceivable that their alchemical skills must have been quite advanced.

Ailin just didn't expect that these two talents would be realized in reality so early.

to be honest.

He never expected that the investment in adopting Yennefer would pay off, at least not in such a short time...

"... And do you know why Yennefer wanted to refine Specter Oil?" Mary asked suddenly after praising him for a long time.

Ailin paused for a moment, then shook his head.

"Of course it's to help you!"

help me?

She's been avoiding me!

The witcher walked up to Yennefer with a puzzled expression, knelt down, looked into her violet eyes hidden by a black cloth, and asked:

"Really, Yennefer?"

Seeing Ailin approach, the Little Monster seemed a little uncomfortable and lowered its head, snuggling closer to Mary.

The Witcher looked up at Mary with a helpless expression, his eyes saying, "Is it really to help me?"

At this moment.

"Aren't you angry that I didn't listen to you?" the Little Monster suddenly asked.

The Witcher lowered his head at the sound.

He looked at the Little Monster, and it seemed that he could make eye contact with the Little Monster on the other side through the black cloth that separated the space.

Ailin thought for a moment, then shook her head:

"Of course not, you didn't do anything wrong, why would I blame you?"

There was a few seconds of silence.

"Then... did Yennefer help Ailin?" The Little Monster cautiously raised its head slightly.

"Of course!" The Witcher smiled gently and nodded.

Those extra hundred or so portions of Specter Oil earned him at least five thousand Oren in monetary terms alone, not to mention the Old Duke's friendship and the subsequent effects...

but.

Whether it was the Specter Oil made by Yennefer or the one made by Mary.

Once May Festival is over and things settle down, Ailin will surely give them their share of the money, as well as Vesemir's commission.

Thinking this, the Witcher's keen eyes suddenly noticed a slightly raised area on the black cloth.

"Does it hurt?" he asked casually.

Little did they expect that this ordinary act of concern would stir up such a hornet's nest.

The Little Monster paused for a few seconds.

"Pat-pat~ Pat-pat~"

Glistening, warm water droplets dripped onto the ground through the gaps in the black cloth.

In no time, a large area of the ground was wet.

This left the Witcher momentarily speechless, unsure of what he had just said wrong.

Just as he looked helplessly at Mary, the Little Monster suddenly sobbed, his voice thick with tears:

"It doesn't hurt... it doesn't hurt..."

"Yennefer doesn't feel any pain at all..."