The King of the Wolf Pack Lives at the Highest Place

Upon hearing this, Klar exchanged glances with the apprentices around her, and asked cautiously:

"Commander Ailin just went to find those trolls?"

Ailin nodded.

After hesitating for a second and sending the apprentices away, Klar whispered, "We've all transported rotten flesh for those dozen or so new trolls."

"And then what? Why did it suddenly stop?" Ailin asked.

Klar glanced around again, and seeing no one nearby, took a step closer, lowering her voice even further:

"It was Lady Mary who arranged for us to do this."

"At first, everything was going well. We even led our apprentices to clear out the water ghosts along the route from Kaer Morhen to the Circle of Elements."

"However, about a month later, Master Aristo returned with the purchased supplies and, upon learning that we were feeding a dozen or so Rock Troll, he flew into a rage..."

"They say there are no demon hunters who raise monsters... and there's this backlash..."

"Lady Mary and Lady Vesemir weren't in Kaer Morhen at the time, so we had to stop..."

Ailin didn't ask Klar whether Aristo knew that he had made the decision.

If Aristo didn't know, Klar wouldn't be looking so furtive right now; who knows who that raging fire was actually aimed at...

However, Ailin could actually guess this.

At that time, there weren't many people in Kaer Morhen; you could count them on your fingers. There were very few people who could legitimately interfere with Ailin's decisions.

However, Aristo...

If this stubborn, hot-tempered old man disagrees, then things will indeed be a bit troublesome.

He still had to deliver rotten flesh to the Rock Troll. It was impossible to make him personally deliver it every time just to avoid Arethos, especially since he had planned to go down the mountain again in August or September, and he couldn't possibly do this behind the school's back.

"Commander, what about Master Aristo..." A slightly hesitant voice came from the side.

They looked in the direction of the sound.

Klar's young brows were furrowed with worry, clearly indicating that she was very concerned and troubled about the relationship between Ailin and Aristo.

"It's alright," Ailin patted his head and smiled. "Master Aristo and I may have had a little misunderstanding about this. I'll talk to him and explain it to him later, and everything will be fine."

The twelve or thirteen-year-old boy believed whatever Ailin said.

Upon hearing that there would be no surprises regarding the relationship between the two closest Witcher Master, Klar immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, laughing and joking, he began to tell Ailin how strict Aristo had been, how grumpy he had been, and how his apprentices, who had been trained so hard, had secretly slandered him and used voodoo dolls over the past six months.

After a while, once all the apprentices who had been sent away were summoned, he coughed twice and stopped, pretending to be a mature adult.

Ailin took this opportunity to say goodbye and went to find Aristo before it got dark.

Aristo is not hard to find.

Since losing to Ailin a week ago, he has been training his swordsmanship in a few secluded corners on the north side of the main castle.

and.

Aside from the first two or three days, he led Ailin to understand the training status of the Legion's Witchers and apprentices, and meticulously explained the characteristics and shortcomings of each apprentice.

Once Ailin had become completely familiar with the place, she never appeared again.

Obviously.

He was voluntarily handing over control of the Witcher Company.

So to be honest, Aristo actually treated him very well.

"Phew~"

Smack!

The whistling sound of the heavy longsword being swung was accompanied by a crisp clang.

After reaching the main gate of the castle, Ailin followed the sound and easily spotted a red figure flashing back and forth among several dummies wearing iron armor.

Honestly.

Ailin actually admired Witcher Master like Aristo quite a bit.

Putting yourself in his shoes, it's hard to imagine that when he was two or three hundred years old, he would still be practicing the tedious swordsmanship every day as always.

If it weren't for the constant stream of crises that inexplicably piled up one after another...

Long before the Trial of the Mountains, he was ready to lie down and enjoy the hard-won immortal life of the Long-lived race.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

The continuous knocking interrupted Ailin's daydreams about his life as a retired witcher.

He watched Aristo practice his swordsmanship, not in a hurry to disturb him, but instead organizing his thoughts in his mind.

This differed from his words of comfort to Klar.

Aristo's resistance to raising Rock Troll may not be a minor misunderstanding; it could involve the Witcher's fundamental attitude towards monsters, or even his principles.

It can be large or small.

Moreover, it may be impossible to distinguish right from wrong in this matter.

Was it wrong for Ailin to use the power of the Rock Troll to strengthen the School of the Wolf?

Of course not.

Was Aristo wrong to resist?

Don't forget.

Two months ago, Ailin was almost killed by the Mountain Stone.

Ten years ago, Vesemir was also severely injured by these Rock Troll.

Therefore, the threat does indeed exist.

To put it simply...

For Ailin, the value of keeping these Rock Troll alive to fight against potential threats from nobles, warlocks, the Wild Hunt, or even the White Frost far outweighed any hidden threats.

If both are right, it means it will be difficult to convince each other.

And Aristo has always been a very stubborn, veteran Witcher Master.

"Sigh~" The Witcher sighed.

Just thinking about what was going to happen next made his head start to ache.

Smack!

"Phew~"

Perhaps because Ailin hadn't concealed his footsteps, the knocking stopped not long before he could think about it.

"Ailin, you were looking for me?" Aristo put his training steel sword back on the weapon rack in the corner.

Ailin was silent for a few seconds, took a deep breath, and nodded:

"Yes, Master Aristo. Regarding the extra Rock Troll beneath the Circle of Elements ..."

Ailin paused instinctively.

He paused for a moment when he saw Aristo approaching and heard the name of the Rock Troll.

His rugged face, covered with a thick beard, suddenly changed from gentle to expressionless.

The pressure felt like a sudden, fierce mountain wind, descending upon us in an instant.

With a heavy heart, before Aristo could speak, Ailin quickly emphasized his idea of using Rock Troll to protect Kaer Morhen, as well as the threats facing the Ancient Sea Fortress from nobles, warlocks, and the Wild Hunt.

But he hadn't finished speaking.

"No need to say anything..." Aristo suddenly waved his hand, "Just do it your way."

"Rock Giant..." Upon hearing the first part of the sentence, Ailin, who was about to try to persuade him further, paused for a moment. "You mean you agree?"

Ailin had considered the possibility, but he never imagined that the Witcher Master, known throughout Kaer Morhen for his stubbornness, irritability, and conservatism, would agree before he had even finished his carefully prepared speech.

Could it be because he won the duel last week?

Ailin could only think of one possibility in contrast to the image of Aristo described by Klar and his current decisive attitude.

That shouldn't be!

Successfully relinquishing control of the Witcher Company was already a huge benefit brought about by that duel.

Therefore, he compromised his own beliefs and made a decision that, in Aristo's mind, might harm the school.

This doesn't seem like something the honest and stubborn Aristo would do.

Just like loyal ministers and generals of ancient times, they could relinquish interests and divide power, but when it came to matters concerning the ruler or even the safety of the nation, the more loyal they were, the more stubborn and uncompromising they became...

Aristo nodded, but his expression remained blank, his brows slightly furrowed, and he didn't seem to agree with Ailin.

"Why?" Ailin asked instinctively.

Aristo frowned again upon hearing the question, but then, as if struck by a sudden thought, his expression softened, and he said:

"Ailin, a wolf pack consists of many wolves, but they only choose one direction to hunt..."

Do you know how they chose this direction?

Ailin was taken aback by what he said, not knowing what Aristo was trying to say.

However, Aristo didn't seem to expect an answer from Ailin. After asking the question, he didn't pause for a second and answered it himself:

"Strength!"

"The wolf pack uses its strength to choose that direction."

"The direction that the alpha wolf, who defeats all the other wolves, wants to go is the direction that the pack will eventually go."

"The prey chosen by the alpha wolf becomes the target of the pack's battle."

"So..."

Aristo paused, gazing into Ailin's deep blue Cat Eyes, and said:

"You defeated me in the duel, so you are naturally more qualified to choose the direction for the wolf pack."

It really was because of that duel...

Ailin thought to himself.

But for some reason, he always felt that Aristo's metaphor was a bit strange.

"However..." Aristo interrupted Ailin's thoughts again, "A witcher is a witcher, and a monster is a monster..."

"You can use them, but don't trust any monsters that have ever fed on humans, understand?"

Ailin nodded upon hearing this.

After carefully observing his expression and confirming that Ailin wasn't just giving a perfunctory answer, Aristo smiled and then looked up at the darkening sky:

"Is there anything else? I'm planning to practice a little longer."

Ailin shook his head, knowing that Aristo was telling him to leave, and left on his own after saying goodbye.

"Da~ da~ da~"

On the way away from the training grounds north of the main castle, Ailin, who had been pondering Aristo's words, suddenly had a flash of inspiration and stopped in his tracks.

He finally realized what was so strange about Aristo's metaphor.

That's right!

The wolf pack selects its alpha wolf, who determines the pack's direction and hunting targets, based on strength.

but...

Once the alpha wolf is chosen, it remains in the pack unless it is defeated by the other wolves.

otherwise.

Even if one of them is far stronger than the others, how can it overtake the alpha wolf to decide the direction the pack will run?

Realizing this, Ailin turned around abruptly.

The sky was dark and gloomy.

The training ground in the distance appeared extremely small in the field of vision due to its distance.

Although his face was not visible, he had just given the order to leave and was saying he planned to practice his swordsmanship for a while, but now he was standing motionless.

Like a matchstick with a bent top.

He squinted, his azure Cat Eyes suddenly contracting.

He saw it clearly.

The bent "match head" is clearly looking up at the sky.

"No! I wasn't looking at the sky!"

The Witcher followed Aristo's gaze.

In the dark blue sky, low-lying gray clouds were blown by the mountain wind, encircling the towering castle.

At the end of the line of sight.

The windowsill was empty, only the dim light of a candle illuminated it.

The curtains fluttered in the cold wind, creating a desolate and lonely atmosphere.

That's the highest point of the School of the Wolf.

There,

The king of the wolves...

An hour later.

After a quick dinner, the Witcher returned to the third floor of the north tower.

"Bang!"

After the door closed, the Witcher activated his Witcher's Handbook.

Name: Ailin

Age: 14

[Title: Child of Miracle]

[HP: 100%, Stamina: 660/660, MP: 730/730]

[Attributes: Strength 63 (+2), Agility 61 (+1), Constitution 66 (+1), Perception 68, Mysticism 73]

The four-point increase in the three attributes of Strength, Agility, and Constitution comes from the energy cycle of [Beast Roar: Berserk].

Although the increase wasn't huge, what's astonishing is that it only took him a week to achieve it.

and.

Even after a week, Ailin still hadn't been able to complete a full cycle.

It goes without saying.

Once the [Beast Roar: Berserk] energy cycle is fully operational, and even maintained for 24 hours a day, what level will his strength, agility, and physique reach?

and.

This is just one skill in the Path of the Beast Roar.

[Beast Roar: Primal Tongue] also enhances perception, but since [Beast Roar: Frenzy] has not yet completed its full cycle, Ailin does not want to be distracted.

and.

Increases control over "'Beast Roar: Berserk'", increases the casting speed of "Beast Roar: Berserk" by 50%, and increases the roar intensity and range of "Beast Roar: Berserk" by 20%...

Due to the powerful effects of [Beast Roar: Berserk] in actual combat, the side effects of maintaining this state with these energies can almost immediately enhance the Witcher's strength.

This also means that the Witcher is unlikely to change the maintained roar until it reaches its limit.

It's just a little regrettable that...

The effect of increasing the speed, intensity, and range of the roar in actual combat is limited, as the Witcher can only maintain it when undisturbed, so it cannot be used in actual combat for the time being.

All I can say is that the future looks promising.

However, when the [Beast Roar: Berserk] was mentioned, the Witcher recalled the "Sword Aura" in Old Spearhead's Sword Aura, where he killed Ghoul-Troll Spirit with a single sword strike, causing massive damage to the terrain and even ending the first [Witch Hunt] attempt at 100% completion due to the target's death.

Yes, the Sword Aura.

This is the name given by the Witcher.

Although the effect is not achieved through true qi but through magical energy, it is at least visually clear enough.

and...

So handsome!

After entrusting the Metal Troll to the Big Stone and the Mountain Stone, Ailin couldn't resist trying it again on his way back, wanting to see if the "Sword Aura" could be replicated by chance.

After all, this skill, which can kill large monsters directly without relying on [Demon Hunting], is simply too powerful.

If it can be brought under stable control, it will undoubtedly be a great comfort to the demon hunters who still harbor a slight wariness of the Witcher's Handbook.

pity...

Balmor Longsword, Giant Ghoul Decoction, Blizzard Potion, Beast Roar: Frenzy, [Witcher]...

Ailin followed the steps from memory, strictly adhering to the order, but was still unable to replicate it.

I don't know if it's because there aren't any strong enough enemies to excite Balmor.

However, we can only try again next time.

After all, the other conditions are actually not too bad, but the Giant Ghoul Decoction and the Blizzard Potion are really expensive.

Even though Ailin is very wealthy now, she shouldn't waste money like this.

With a sigh, he shook his head to shake off the phantom pain in his heart, and the Witcher's mind stirred.

[Ding! Use the Ghoul-Troll Spirit's Purification Spirit?]