Kaer Morhen on High Alert

"Splash splash~"

Just as Ailin, who was a step behind, was wondering why there was such a loud, waterfall-like sound of water near the Ancient Sea Fortress, he heard the Witcher Master's exclamation.

He quickly stepped forward and led his horse across Vesemir.

The next second.

Ailin also stopped in his tracks, uttering the same question as Vesemir.

Is this really Kaer Morhen?

The gray and sturdy gate tower still retains some of its original shape, but the faint glint of cold light visible through the gaps in the arrow crenellations sends chills down one's spine.

The suspension bridge had clearly been altered; the width, which was only wide enough for two horses to walk side by side, remained the same, but its length was at least three times longer than I remembered.

Below it is a moat drawn from an unknown source.

You should know that this place should have been a dry, deep depression, with a lot of weeds growing inside.

Now, however, the water flows with the surging power of a waterfall.

Ailin could easily imagine how horribly the enemy troops would die once they fell into such a moat.

It was only then that Ailin noticed that the city walls along the way had clearly been repaired, and those that had been dilapidated over the years had been patched up.

Climbing vines and other vines that are easy to climb have also disappeared.

More importantly...

The demon hunters standing guard in those key positions, though young and inexperienced in appearance, displayed a spirit and discipline that were clearly different from the demon hunters who were just loafing around when Ailin first arrived.

The entire fortress was baring its fangs and claws, threatening the enemy hiding in the unknown, revealing its ferocious face.

It's terrifying.

"Who goes there!" came a sharp shout, sounding somewhat immature.

As soon as the group turned the corner of the long slope, separated by the moat and at least three or four hundred meters away from the city gate, they were ordered to stop by the guards on the city gate tower.

Vesemir and Ailin exchanged a glance; used to the lazy fortress guards, they were still a little unaccustomed to this.

Before they could even identify themselves, another small head popped out from the crenellations on the city wall.

"It's Master Vesemir! And Commander Ailin!" the young guard shouted in surprise.

Then, a commotion suddenly broke out where the Witcher couldn't see, with childish voices chattering all at once.

"Commander Ailin? The youngest Witcher Master who created the Drowner Heart Essence Fluid..."

"I heard he killed the Cyclops and the King of Ice..."

"He also killed Ban Ade's demon and the serpent giant..."

"You all know less than I do. He killed those male wizards and the king at Ban Ade Academy. The Kedwen royal family didn't dare to utter a sound, yet they bestowed upon him the title of Blue Death?"

Ailin knew that these young-looking people must be the new batch of Witcher apprentices who had passed the Trial of Grasses.

Hearing about past achievements initially satisfied my vanity, but the more I listened, the more something seemed off.

I killed the first four...

Those two have nothing to do with me, at least not on the surface...

And the nickname "Blue Death" wasn't bestowed upon him by the Royal Family of Kedwen...

Who is spreading this nonsense?

The Witcher glanced sideways at a girl whose face was flushed with embarrassment.

"It wasn't me... I didn't... Don't talk nonsense..."

Mary didn't repeat the little tantrum she had after leaving Arland.

His hands moved in front of his chest, leaving afterimages.

"Did I ask you?" the Witcher thought.

The culprit has been found.

However, she was originally the only suspect.

Information doesn't travel that fast these days. How could something that happened in Ban Ade a little over a month ago have reached Kaer Morhen, deep in the mountains, so quickly?

The chief, Vesemir, Mary were the only three who returned to Kaer Morhen.

Only Mary holds the title of Chief Sorceress of the Legion.

It's obvious from whom the information was leaked, even without deduction.

"Move aside so I can see... let me see what Commander Ailin looks like?"

"Don't push! I was the first one here. Let me see first, let me see first..."

The city gate tower was in complete chaos, like chicks scrambling for food at mealtime, or like hordes of horses welcoming the mountain king.

The feeling of being under heavy guard just moments ago has completely vanished.

It was as if the ferocious and terrifying beast had shed its defenses, revealing that beneath the tiger's skin was actually a group of little kittens.

It's both funny and sad.

But thinking about it...

The oldest of the Witcher apprentices who survived to the end of Ailin's group was only fourteen years old.

The next batch will mostly be eleven, twelve, or three.

The group of children on the city wall who were scrambling to see Ailin were probably all under ten years old, which would have been elementary school students in their previous lives, so it doesn't seem so strange.

instead.

It's already quite an achievement to maintain that seemingly disciplined demeanor without any prior preparation.

This proves that his plans for the Monster Hunting Legion before he came down the mountain were effective, and the Ancient Sea Fortress was now starting to look like a fortress.

At least it won't be like in the past, where the guards would be so frightened by the arrival of a few Rock Troll that they would abandon the city's defenses.

certainly.

This is not entirely his achievement.

To be able to train a group of children around ten years old to this level, even if they are witchers who have been undergoing trials since childhood.

His deputy commander Master Aristo, was also quite capable.

"Go back! Go back!" Mary stepped forward and shouted.

But her soft voice was completely drowned out by the chatter coming from the city gate tower.

Mary's appearance only fueled the Witcher apprentices' excitement, and the noise grew even louder.

until...

Vesemir rode out from around the corner, expressionless and silent.

The witcher apprentices on the city gate tower, quite in sync, gradually quieted down.

The witcher apprentice, who hadn't seen anything behind him, noticed his companion suddenly fall silent and asked, "What happened? What happened..."

"The evil old witch is coming..." a witcher apprentice in the front row whispered.

In an instant.

The Ancient Sea Fortress was silent.

Even Ailin and Vesemir dared not utter a sound.

Wizards are better at perception and mystery than witchers.

If they can hear it, Lady Vesemir can certainly hear it too.

As for the question of who the evil old witch is...

The answer can be found by looking at Mary's trembling, ashen face.

It's just unknown whether she, as the Chief Sorcerer of the Witcher Company, contributed to this unpleasant nickname.

"Da da da~"

The sound of horses' hooves was slow and gentle.

He paused briefly as he passed Mary before continuing toward the Ancient Sea Fortress.

From the Witcher's perspective, he saw Vesemir glance at Mary expressionlessly.

The young Sorceress, the esteemed chief Sorceress of the Witcher Company, instantly turned ashen-faced.

The young witcher guard at the city gate, who had greeted them with a smile, paused in his tracks.

Although their attributes were insufficient, they did not hear the address on the city gate tower.

But sensing something was wrong, they silently retreated and stood motionless like statues on either side of the open city gate.

The atmosphere was practically frozen.

Vesemir and Ailin exchanged bewildered glances, then spurred their horses and followed the Sorceress into Kaer Morhen.

"What should we do, Ailin?" Mary asked hurriedly in a low voice as she passed by Mary, whose face was pale.

Ailin glanced at Vesemir's tall, straight back, then leaned close to Mary's ear and whispered:

"This... you taught me this nickname?"

"I...how could I dare..." Mary denied repeatedly.

Vesemir was in charge of the Trial of Grasses for the first half of the year, so it's normal that the apprentices have some psychological trauma from Vesemir.

"It's alright, it's just a child being naughty, children say the darndest things. Lady Vesemir has always had a very good temper, nothing will happen."

Upon hearing this, Mary's mouth dropped open, and she stared at Ailin in disbelief.

Lady Vesemir has always had a good temper?

Which eye did you see it with, and how did you use your brain to make that judgment?

Vesemir tilted his head and stared at him, looking equally puzzled.

The Witcher Master wasn't stupid. After traversing so many portals, he had long realized that he must have offended the Bloody Red Fox somewhere.

The reason I persisted until the end.

On one hand, he was unwilling to lose to his apprentice, and on the other hand, he wanted to calm Vesemir down.

Although he didn't know where he had offended the Sorceress.

Is this what you call having a good temper?

in addition...

Is the child being naughty?

You're only fourteen years old...

Vesemir scratched his Black Wide-brimmed Hat.

But thinking about it, Vesemir had never spoken harshly to Ailin and had always tried her best to help him.

More than 10,000 Oren "Veridian Sigh" were given away without hesitation. It is said that in the Temple of Melitele, the icon chamber was filled with expensive materials for Ailin to learn rituals (a waste).

She's even more loving than a biological mother.

There's really nothing wrong with what he said.

Looking at Ailin's matter-of-fact expression, Vesemir and Mary suddenly felt powerless and didn't want to argue anymore.

Let's just say that...

Perhaps because their brainwaves clicked, Vesemir and Mary instinctively exchanged a glance.

They immediately felt a sense of shared misfortune and mutual sympathy.

After sighing, they walked together into the fortress.

Seeing this, Ailin shrugged and followed.

Although neither Vesemir nor Mary thought Vesemir was a good-tempered person.

But just as Ailin had said, the Sorceress didn't bother with the witcher apprentice on the city gate tower and rode into the fortress without looking to the side.

Perhaps the apprentices knew things were going badly, or perhaps they were simply afraid of Vesemir, so they didn't come down to bother the other three.

In response to this.

Ailin, on the other hand, was happy to have some peace and quiet.

Exhausted from the journey.

Although thanks to "spatial control," the keen senses of the Witcher no longer make him feel uncomfortable when passing through the portal.

I've had plenty of rest these past few days.

But when a traveler who has been away from home for a long time returns, it's as if he has put down a heavy burden, and he feels particularly relaxed.

Basking in the bright sunshine, feeling the cool breeze, and smelling the faint fragrance of grass, I gradually became drowsy as I swayed on horseback.

today.

He didn't want to do anything, and he didn't want to think about being a king, a wizard, the Wild Hunt, or White Frost...

He just wanted to stay in his "large flat," open the balcony, take a hot bath in the bright summer sunshine of Kaer Morhen, and then sleep soundly for half a day.

Kaer Morhen was unusually quiet in the summer.

Even in late autumn, the blacksmith and tailor shops often seen on both sides of the street, run by elderly and disabled witchers, are all tightly closed.

We led the horse all the way to the south tower of the castle, but we didn't see a single living person.

If it weren't for the fact that it's early summer now, even Kaer Morhen would be warm and cozy, making it seem like a ghost town.

"The Witchers of the School of the Wolf have all come down the mountain by now."

"There should only be Witcher apprentices in the fortress, along with White and Master Aristo, who are in charge of training the apprentices."

"But they should all be in the northwest corner right now. We'll be able to see them when we have dinner tonight."

Seeing that Ailin kept looking around, Vesemir explained.

"Grandmaster Soyer is here too..." Mary added, "I saw him in the castle hall at least a month ago when I left Kaer Morhen."

"Um?"

Vesemir paused for a moment upon hearing this, then turned his head to look at Mary in confusion.

Although Soyer was the leader of the School of the Wolf, he actually spent about the same amount of time in Kaer Morhen.

Like other witchers of the school, he leaves Kaer Morhen each year to eliminate the monsters that plague humanity, based on the commissions he receives in the autumn and winter of the previous year.

For decades, it has remained unchanged.

In many cases, they even return to Kaer Morhen later than other witchers of the school during the winter.

"Is there something the Chief is doing in Kaer Morhen at this hour?" Vesemir wondered.

but.

When he saw Vesemir's graceful and upright figure, he immediately understood.

Yes!

At this time of year, there was never a Sorceress named Vesemir in Kaer Morhen...

No wonder the chief...

As the Witcher Master was pondering this in his mind, he suddenly felt a cold gaze sweep over him.

His expression immediately turned serious. He pressed down his Black Wide-brimmed Hat to hide his expression, no longer daring to let his mind wander.

"Tie the horse here, I'll take it down the mountain tomorrow." The Sorceress pointed expressionlessly to the training ground below the tower.

Kaer Morhen has no stables.

Because of the narrow and dangerous design of the Assassin's Trail, ordinary horses cannot climb it, so the horses of the Witcher School are usually kept in the Kaer village at the foot of the mountain, where they are cared for by the villagers.

Following Vesemir's instructions, the group randomly found a pillar near the training ground and tied their horses to it.

After thanking Vesemir, Vesemir, considering that the chief was in Kaer Morhen, intended to take Ailin to discuss the relocation of the school proposed by Duke Mason.

But just as he was about to speak, he noticed Ailin's somewhat weary face, and his heart softened:

"You should go back and rest first. I'm going to see the chief."

"I'll go with you..." Although Ailin wanted to take a hot bath, she still knew what was important.

"No need," Vesemir shook his head, stopping him. "It's just a brief explanation of the situation; it won't require two people."

Ailin thought about it and didn't insist.

The matter of the migration school of thought is indeed not something that can be discussed in a day or two.

Vesemir left.

Vesemir had already entered the tower by then.

Mary, on the verge of tears, clung tightly to Yennefer's hand, too afraid to follow.

"Let's go, this has nothing to do with you. Lady Vesemir won't be so petty," Ailin patted her shoulder and advised.

Then he squatted down and comforted Yennefer, who was a little nervous when she first arrived in Kaer Morhen.

Seeing that Mary still refused to leave, he thought for a moment and said:

"Then you can come up again later?"

"Shall I go see Lady Vesemir first and put in a good word for you?"