Cambridge Ritual

"Arthur, are you sure Master Ailin will take this route?" Sala, riding on horseback and clad in black armor, asked hesitantly, tilting her head. "I remember Lady Vesemir was also at the Temple of Melitele."

"Don't go back through the portal, you've made us wait here for ages..."

"If you don't want to wait, you can go back." Knight Commander Arthur of the Guard Knight waved his hand impatiently.

"That won't do." Sala patted the object lying flat on the horse's back and shook her head repeatedly. "I'm part of this surprise too, how can I let you steal the limelight in front of Master Ailin ..."

"The Monster Hunter Army are all waiting too..."

Arthur glanced at Sala, shook his head, and then explained:

"Given a choice, Witchers would never choose to leave through the portals. The book says that a Witcher's keen senses are ill-suited to such violent fluctuations."

"Many Witchers call it Portal Syndrome."

Sala nodded in sudden realization, as if she truly understood.

"That's not right..."

A few seconds later, he glanced at the deserted path in the distance, and as if suddenly realizing something, he interjected:

"What if they really have an emergency?"

"Given your personality, you would never do something without being sure of success."

Arthur sighed, but seeing Sala's inquisitive look, he could only sigh helplessly.

"I do have a way."

"What method?"

After a moment of silence, seeing that Sala had no intention of letting him go, Arthur could only sigh and say:

"Some of the Guard Knight fell from their horses that night and were seriously injured, but they managed to escape with their lives from the monsters' clutches..."

"Hmm..." Sala crossed her arms and nodded, signaling Arthur to continue.

"The wounded person's bandages were changed by the newly arrived priest of the temple..."

"So what?"

"The new priest is very familiar with Master Ailin; it's said that Master Ailin rescued him from the monsters..."

Sala froze upon hearing this.

He recalled the faces of the priests he had seen in the city square of Arland in the past few days.

They quickly identified a temple priest who was beautiful, hardworking, and whose age was similar to that of his daughter.

He immediately leaned back on his horse, looking the knight in silver armor up and down with disdain, as if he were seeing Arthur in a new light.

His rough, large face with a thick beard conveyed with exquisite detail and clarity:

"I never expected someone with such thick eyebrows and big eyes like you to be so treacherous and cunning, taking advantage of a kind-hearted little girl..."

The usually taciturn knight seemed to lose face at this moment, and whispered in defense:

"We can't let the Guard Knight and the Monster Hunter Army miss out like this, especially..."

Arthur looked around.

Arland, after all, the second largest city in Temeria after the Vizima. Even though it has just suffered a major blow, there are still many people coming and going.

Many vendors, and even nearby residents affected by the disaster, set up stalls on the street to sell homemade food and other small items.

No matter how severe or difficult the disaster, the survivors still need to find ways to continue living.

Upon seeing the Monster Hunter Army and Guard Knight gathered here, it seemed as if something big had happened, and they were all talking about it.

"Especially in this environment..."

"After all, you don't want to be a court jester, providing jokes for Arland all year round, do you?"

Sala fell silent.

He thought Arthur made sense.

After a long silence, he finally asked:

"Are you sure the new priest will stop Master Ailin for us?"

Arthur remained silent.

Sala understood.

"I acted impulsively after all..." he sighed.

But there was nothing he could do about it, since he had only learned from Arthur last night that Master Ailin had left today.

Arthur learned about it by chance from Lord Mason, only a few hours earlier than him.

It's already quite an achievement to prepare this "surprise" in such a rush.

Even so.

Sala had no regrets about being there at this moment.

Arthur probably thought the same thing.

Otherwise, how could someone as traditional as him have acted so impulsively...?

They wanted to do something for the heroes of Arland, even if it was risky, even if all they could do was a tiny little thing.

"They're here!"

"Our May King!"

A commotion suddenly arose among the Monster Hunter Army ahead, before Sala could even correct her men's use of the term "Sir Ailin".

Arthur, standing beside him, spurred his horse and rode forward.

Sala could only ignore these minor details and steered her horse to follow.

Not far away.

Temple District and Lower Town.

The Witcher Ailin, the Blue Death Ailin, our Sir Ailin of Arland, stood frozen in place, riding a horse and holding a girl in his arms.

Take a closer look.

It was the newly arrived temple priest from my memory.

However, compared to what I remembered, the girl had clearly dressed up carefully; her rosy, pretty face looked even more beautiful than the most beautiful flower in Arland.

This is what a girl in the throes of passionate love looks like...

Sala, once the most famous prodigal son of Arland, had a lot of experience with this.

"Tsk tsk, our Arland knight Ailin is truly charming!" Sala exclaimed from her swaying horseback.

"But that makes sense..." he thought, "The heroes of Arland deserve the most beautiful flowers of Arland."

at the same time.

After Vesemir and Vesemir stepped aside, Ailin was stunned.

The Guard Knight and the soldiers of the Monster Hunter Army sat upright on their warhorses, watching him as if they were paying their respects.

One row of black and one row of gray.

It extends from the boundary between the Temple District and the Lower City towards the city gate.

The next second.

Ailin finally understood why Vesemir and Vesemir had said that he was the only one who could walk this road.

"Splash splash~"

The captain of the Guard Knight, waving a black banner with a ferocious white wolf head, rode up.

The banners fluttered in the wind.

Is this the surprise Lyra was talking about?

The Witcher thought.

To be honest, this was quite a grand display, and it really satisfied my vanity.

"Ailin, let me down..." the soft, fragrant body in her arms suddenly whispered, "This is your moment!"

Before the Witcher could react, the priest twisted his body and slid off the horse.

At this point, Ailin no longer had time to pay attention to the priestess.

As Arthur rode up to them, waving the flag he had just designed the day before.

"Didn't that court painter named Redo Ras say yesterday that making the flag would take a long time?" Ailin asked doubtfully.

"That's because he didn't know you were leaving today," Arthur explained. "This flag was made last night by the skillful ladies of Arland who stayed up all night to finish it."

"When they found out it was sewn for you, they wouldn't even accept a single penny."

Seeing the Witcher open his mouth as if to speak, Arthur paused and interrupted:

"Of course, we ended up paying."

After speaking, he planted the flag in the ground and then took out a smooth, fluffy silk cloak from his saddlebag and draped it over Ailin.

The top also features a ferocious wolf's head.

Before Ailin could ask any more questions, Arthur pulled out the flag again, steered the reins with one hand, and fell Ailin by a step.

Sala followed closely behind, first solemnly handing him a silver spur, and then handing him a fan-shaped shield painted with a ferocious wolf's head.

"Just make do with this," Sala laughed heartily. "Time is tight, and there's no time to prepare a new shield."

"This is the shield I was given when I was knighted more than a decade ago, and Redo Ras redesigned the coat of arms."

Perhaps worried that Ailin would find it offensive, Arthur explained from behind him:

"This shield was crafted by the dwarven master of Mahakam and is extremely sturdy. But because it was a gift given to her when she was knighted, Sala has always cherished it and has never used it."

"This is too precious!" Upon hearing this, the Witcher quickly declined.

The value of a shield forged by a dwarf master is beyond question.

Moreover, the shield bestowed upon Sala during her investiture must have held immense commemorative value for her.

A gentleman does not take what others cherish.

Besides, a witcher like him doesn't need a shield...

However, Sala's attitude was firm.

He dropped his frivolous smile and advised with a serious expression:

"The shield has been painted with heraldry; this is your shield."

"And it is an honor for it to be given to the heroes of Arland."

Arthur, standing nearby, also offered several words of advice.

The Witcher had no choice but to accept it.

Sala then revealed his familiar frivolous smile, pulled on the reins, and steered his horse a step behind.

Together with Arthur, they protected the Witcher.

"Let's go, Master Ailin."

At this moment.

Many passersby gathered around, asking each other about Ailin's identity.

Many people in Arland know about Ailin's deeds, but actually, many more don't.

After all, on the night of May Festival, besides the Guard Knight and the Monster Hunter Army, the only people outside Arland City who had participated in the revelry and escaped unharmed were young men and women.

Most of these young men and women were seriously injured and had left long ago under the orders of the Guard Knight.

In addition, the city of Arland had already suffered heavy losses, with many people losing their loved ones and having no interest in anything else.

therefore.

Although in the upper echelons of Arland, there was a lot of activity, from bestowing titles to seeking revenge.

However, few people in the lower classes knew about this.

Even those from lower-class communities who were aware of the incident.

A small number of people know that someone saved Arland.

Very few people knew that the man was a witcher.

Very few people have actually seen Ailin.

But they were very familiar with Arthur and Sala.

To be greeted and seen off with such pomp by these two close advisors of Duke Mason, who control the elite army of Arland, one must be of extraordinary status.

Hearing the growing clamor around him, Ailin scratched his head and asked, puzzled:

"Isn't this scene... a bit too big?"

Arthur gripped the flagpole of the black banner with a wolf's head in both hands and solemnly said:

"Heroes of Arland may come silently, but they cannot leave silently."

"Your glorious deeds deserve to be praised by every Arlanders!" Sala echoed solemnly.

Upon hearing this, Ailin...

An indescribable emotion was gradually rising.

He stopped being coy, took a deep breath, and gently kicked the horse's flank with his right foot, slowly moving forward.

"Clang!"

A thousand sounds are like one.

The mounted Guard Knight and Monster Hunter Army simultaneously drew their longswords and pointed them diagonally to the sky.

Under the bright sunlight, the steel corridor, gleaming with a cold light, forms a long corridor leading out of the city.

The passersby gathered on both sides of the knights fell silent upon hearing the clear, resonant clang of metal.

In an instant, the entire street fell silent.

"Da da da~"

The sound of horses' hooves echoed through the long street, now a ruin.

A knight carrying two swords rode his horse into the Court of Longswords.

Ailin, Arthur, Sala proceeded slowly through the first "Gate of Swords".

"Whoosh!"

Two sharp blades swung down suddenly, as if to sever the misfortune that followed.

at the same time.

The knights shouted in praise:

"In the name of God... with this sword..."

"Whoosh!"

"May Cliff protect your sword so that it may always be sharp..."

"Whoosh!"

"... May your shield remain forever strong..."

"Whoosh!"

"... May your fighting spirit always be high..."

"Whoosh!"

"... May you be invincible and unstoppable..."

Long swords, gleaming with a cold light, fell one after another not far behind him.

For the Witcher.

Such a short distance should have triggered his natural defensive response.

But looking at the steel forest above him and listening to the praises and blessings around him, he felt not the slightest bit wary, but rather extremely at ease.

The surging emotions within me began to rise, to become intense, and to come crashing in like a tsunami.

But these emotions did not overwhelm him.

The cheers and praises of the crowd lifted him up, soaring him to the blazing sun.

In a daze.

He seemed to see a long oak table under the blazing sun, with a majestic man in golden armor, blond hair and golden eyes, raising a glass full of fine wine to him, cheering for his glory and offering his blessings.

"Buzz~"

"Buzz~"

The Wolf Emblem on his chest and the Balmor on his back hummed simultaneously.

It instantly jolted the Witcher awake from his dreamlike state.

The golden-helmeted man vanished in the blazing sun.

The swaying of the horse's back brought him back to his senses.

"Buzz~"

Balmor was still trembling, seemingly in excitement.

But the Wolf Emblem on his chest had stopped trembling.

"What was that just now?" The Witcher looked up blankly.

But he found that, without realizing it, he had reached the end of the steel corridor.

The city gates of Arland were behind him, while towering, newly cast tombstones stood before him.

"Whoosh!"

The final "Sword Gate" closed behind him.

The Witcher was fully awake.

"Buzz—"

The hum of Balmor behind him gradually stopped, but the Witcher felt that his relationship with her seemed to have grown a little closer.

What... what's going on?

And that man with golden armor, blond hair, and golden eyes that I just saw...

who is he?

Is it a hallucination?

The Witcher shook his head violently.

wrong.

The Wolf Emblem and Balmor reacted simultaneously; this was definitely not an illusion.

"Knight Ailin!"

"Knight Ailin!"

"May King!"

"Knight Ailin!"

The sudden burst of loud cheers behind him interrupted his thoughts.

He turned around instinctively.

The first thing that caught their eye was not Arthur and Sala, but an old figure standing on the city wall.

Duke Mason!

That makes sense... With such a grand occasion, how could Arthur and Sala possibly attend without the Old Duke's permission?

However, Ailin only glanced at him, nodded in greeting, and then quickly looked at Arthur:

What was that just now?

The answer came from the other side.

"The Cambridge Ritual," Sala said.

"The Cambridge Ritual, where a bridge of glory is built with the swords of warriors..."