Neutral?

The School of the Wolf adheres to neutrality.

In fact, it's not just wolves; apart from cats and manticores, griffins, bears, and vipers all try their best not to do anything outside of their primary job of hunting monsters.

This is the excuse that Witchers do not get involved in worldly disputes, a lesson learned from the disintegration of the Witcher Conclave in the past.

This was also a common need for all humans in the Northern Continent, where monsters were rampant at the time.

A person's bottom line can be infinitely low.

If killing people could bring them enough money and status to work for the powerful, who would risk their life to hunt all sorts of strange, dangerous, and powerful monsters?

therefore.

For a long time, "adhering to neutrality" could be considered a law recognized by various Witcher schools and the rulers of the Northern Continent.

Those who violate the rules, including those who are witchers, will be severely punished.

However, as time went by and the number of monsters continued to decrease, all the habitable places on the Northern Continent had been occupied by humans. The elimination of monsters became a lower priority in the affairs of the rulers of various countries, but the various schools of demon hunters still adhered to this tradition.

But even if Ailin disdains this principle, he has to admit it.

The School of the Wolf still needs this principle in practice today.

This principle is necessary, at least in this matter.

otherwise...

Unless Ard finally and completely conquers Kedwen, hostile witcher forces within Kedwen can openly send troops to attack Kaer Morhen.

After the war ended, old grievances were brought up again.

Moreover, there's no need for sorcerers and nobles to desperately spread rumors to weaken the influence of the Witcher.

If School of the Wolf witcher aids an enemy nation during wartime, he will be scorned by all the nobles and commoners of Kedwen as a "traitor," and will most likely be antagonized by other countries in the Northern Continent, ultimately leaving him no choice but to completely submit to Ard.

If that's the case, it would have been better to have migrated to Arland earlier and joined the Temeria school.

At least Temeria is the strongest of the northern kingdoms, and both commoners and nobles are much more friendly to Witchers Ard.

So Vesemir was right.

Regional monster harassment, or even dealing with minor monster attacks on the army, can all be covered up with some excuses.

But the Greater Griffin that Horton Qui-Gon mentioned had such a huge impact on the war that it might even be some kind of tactic by Kedwen.

This was a commission that Vesemir and Ailin could not possibly accept.

"At least we can't accept it openly..." Ailin thought to himself.

The suffocating silence, amplified by the biting cold, seemed to freeze the air itself.

Vesemir suddenly spoke up, "Name an amount, Horton."

The dwarf glared at Vesemir, then glanced at Ailin, finally letting out a long, relaxed sigh and waving his hand.

"Alright, let's leave with my Good Girl. Remember to have Lady Vesemir carefully choose a suitable alchemical Magic Array. I personally suggest Fire Element or earth..."

"Wait a minute..." Vesemir interrupted the dwarf's rambling, "Red Dragon Hide and Queen of the Scorpion Spider silk are worth at least thirty or forty Oren, and you're just going to give them up?"

"It's not my Red Dragon Hide or the silk of the Scorpion Spider queen," the dwarf waved his hand dismissively.

"But this..." Vesemir hesitated.

"Take it." The dwarf chuckled and patted the Witcher Master's thigh. "Demavend II had anticipated your refusal. He's cunning and treacherous, but he's certainly very generous..."

"I know he's very generous," Vesemir smiled helplessly. "You've said that many times."

"Then I'd advise you School of the Wolf witchers to come to Ard more often, whether you have something to do or not," the dwarf laughed. "Although we're not as wealthy as Arland, and can't afford to give up a castle to the School of the Wolf, we still have plenty of bounties."

Vesemir was taken aback, feeling that there seemed to be another meaning behind the dwarf's words.

"What's wrong?" he asked, frowning.

"Since the Dark Sun Curse, the world has become increasingly turbulent," the dwarf nodded to the two witchers before leaving the treasure room. "The deep mountains and valleys of Fujian are relatively safe, but the villages at the foot of the mountains have already been attacked by water ghosts two or three times, and the battlefield has attracted an unusually large number of Ghoul ..."

"You still care about this?" Vesemir asked, surprised. "Aren't you always only interested in hammers and wine?"

"What nonsense are you spouting!" the dwarf glared angrily. "I am, after all, the lord of Fujian, in charge of hundreds of people throughout the city..."

"Bang!"

The treasure chambers, glowing with a deep blue light, slammed shut, locking away the paradise that awaited each warrior.

Vesemir looked suspicious.

The dwarf clicked his tongue and picked up his lantern. "Well, this is what Demavend II said in a letter he sent me. He's a bit pessimistic about the future."

"How so?"

"He said he had a vague sense of unease, a bad feeling that he was about to return to an era overrun by monsters..." The dwarf led the way, unconcerned. "Of course, I think that's nonsense. Demavend II spends all his time in the palace secretly plotting schemes; it's no wonder he's suspicious..."

"Which wizard, dwarf, or elf doesn't know that the number of monsters in this world is decreasing..."

"According to those sorcerers who know a few tricks, even the activity of magic is slowly sluggish..."

Vesemir's footsteps trod on the dwarf's shadow as he glanced at Ailin: "The Conjunction of the Spheres occurred at Koban Ade, and there's also the Dark Sun Curse..."

Horton paused, the lantern casting a swaying shadow. "When I'm drunk and forging, my condition isn't always the same; the longswords I forge vary in quality..."

"Can't the heavens and earth also experience some fluctuations?"

"But..."

Before the two witchers could reply, the dwarf turned to Vesemir and Ailin: "This is just my opinion; perhaps Demavend II's guess is correct."

"Besides, they're just some magical materials. They're valuable, but not worthless either. Putting them in his treasury won't help him win more battles or eliminate the water ghosts that have emerged due to the temporary fluctuations in the world."

"It would be better to use it to cultivate good relations with you Witchers of the School of the Wolf in advance, just in case."

"After all, your School of the Wolf doesn't have many people to begin with, and after coming down from the mountain, you always like to go to coastal cities like Temeria and Riedania..."

"To be honest, apart from seeing you twice this year, I haven't seen any other witchers in Fujian in previous years, not even once..."

That's certainly true.

The routes that the School of the Wolf witchers most often take every spring do not include Ard.

Even when traveling to Sodden, Cintra, and Toussaint on the southern side of the Northern Continent, most people would detour through Temeria.

Part of the reason was the long-standing war between Kedwen and Ard.

Kaer Morhen, the territory of the School of the Wolf, is located in Kedwen, and its relationship with the royal family was relatively normal in previous years, so it still needs to be somewhat discreet.

Another reason was that Ard was too poor because it was located inland, relied mainly on agriculture, and was constantly at war.

Apart from the royal Vengerberg, other cities generally couldn't offer any decent compensation, and their entertainment options were far less diverse than those in the western coastal cities.

Witchers also have desires.

Capable people will vote with their feet.

"After I go back, I will persuade the chief..." Vesemir paused, then glanced at Ailin, "I will also come to Ard often in the future."

Ailin nodded as well.

"Hahaha," the dwarf laughed heartily upon seeing this, "That's enough."

At this moment.

The group happened to walk into the main hall.

The cool moonlight shone through the empty window, making the ground appear as if it were covered with White Frost.

"Stay overnight?" The dwarf glanced at the sky outside the window.

"No," Vesemir shook his head, waving his hand dismissively. "We came with a caravan, and because of your lie, we're still waiting for news on the Pontar River ..."

"Alright then, I'll see you off." The dwarf chuckled and scratched his head.

Then, after walking only a few steps...

"There's really nothing we can do about the Greater Griffin..."

"It really won't work."

"I see."

Sighs echoed through the empty hall.

The two witchers did not ask Horton Qui-Gon to see them off and left Fergen the same way they came.

The knights of the Order of Demavend II, King of Ard, who had sent someone to request their services, were still in the city. Since they had already refused the Greater Griffin's request, there was no need for them to cause any further trouble.

It's late at night.

Walking on the neat stone path, a slightly chilly mountain wind from the Blue Mountains howled in.

Listening to the footsteps and the rustling of the wind through the trees, Vesemir was pondering the impact of the Greater Griffin on the course of the war and the future of the School of the Wolf when he suddenly noticed Ailin's azure Cat Eyes, unfocused and also lost in thought.

Thinking about it, Ailin seemed to have been in this absent-minded state ever since he left Fujian.

"What are you thinking about?" Vesemir asked.

"That Greater Griffin," Ailin said instinctively, his azure Cat Eyes trembling as he turned to the Witcher Master, "Master Vesemir, do you think the Greater Griffin attacking Vengerberg now is related to the one we hunted two months ago?"

Vesemir suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"It may be related, it may not be, it's none of our business." He looked at Ailin seriously. "I know you don't agree with the idea of the school adhering to neutrality, and you hate some of the wizards and nobles in Kedwen, but there's nothing we can do about this."

Perhaps worried that Ailin might have some rebellious ideas again, Vesemir changed the subject as he walked toward the woods where the horses were tethered. "Why don't we think about where we should go next, and how we should get back to Kaer Morhen?"

"Wrong."

Vesemir paused for a moment. "What's wrong?"

"We can't do nothing." Ailin shook his head. "Judging from how anxious Horton Qui-Gon is, if we do nothing, Ard might be cut off from supplies because of that Greater Griffin, and we might have to call a truce."

Vesemir stopped again.

But before the Witcher Master could speak, Ailin continued:

"The school has already broken ties with Ben Ade."

"The reason the wizards didn't act on the day of the Apprentice Combat Tournament was simply because the king had died on their territory. Later, the war also took up most of their energy."

"But what if the war ends?"

"Will either the wizards or the new king compromise because of this war?"

"Has their relationship been repaired because of this war?"

"Those nobles who hate the School of the Wolf can also spare resources after the ceasefire."

"Now that the rift is out in the open, will they really tolerate their 'enemy' hiding peacefully in the Ancient Sea Fortress?"

Ailin paused, then looked intently at Vesemir:

"The Witcher Company are improving their strength rapidly, and every second is very important to us."

"War is not a good thing; many people will die. But the School of the Wolf needs a Kedwen who has no time to spare."

Silent, Vesemir stared into Ailin's eyes, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

"Whoosh~"

The mountain wind grew stronger, bending the trees on both sides of the road.

Leaves fluttered in the wind, striking the two witchers.

for a long time.

"But... but if the people of Kedwen find out about killing the Greater Griffin, Kaer Morhen will still be in danger."

Vesemir retorted.

However, Ailin was not discouraged; instead, her eyes lit up.

"Then as long as the people of Kedwen don't find out," he said decisively. "We're not going there for the bounty from the King of Ard, so there's absolutely no need for anyone else in Ard, including Horton, to know."

"The Greater Griffin, and according to Horton, it appears in Vengerberg every day, so we don't need anyone else to tell us about the monster."

"We can use illusion magic to disguise our identities, just like we have these past few days."

"After spotting the Greater Griffin near Vengerberg, find a secluded spot along the route, lure it down with bait, and deal with it."

"Without anyone noticing."

Upon hearing this, Vesemir lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then sighed, "You always have a reason to convince me."

Upon hearing this, Ailin breathed a sigh of relief, "That's because Master Vesemir is accommodating me, and it's all for the future of the school."

"Yes," Vesemir sighed wearily, "It's all for the future of the school."

He finished speaking.

The two witchers walked silently to the grove where the horses were tethered, untied the reins from the trees, and mounted their horses.

He pulled on the reins and straightened the horse's head.

Seeing that the Witcher Master wasn't very interested, Ailin thought for a moment and then spoke up:

"Master Vesemir, if you want to take Ernie and Klar back, you might have to avoid an ambush by the sorcerer on the way back, and you might also have to rely on that Greater Griffin."

"And it will be very easy."

"What do you mean?" Vesemir was taken aback.

Ailin glanced at the semi-transparent Witcher's Handbook in front of him.

[Name: The Giant Beast Lasso of the One-Eyed Clan]

[Type: One-time use magical item]

[Function: By placing a rope around the target's neck and tightening the buckle, the mind of a low-intelligence target can be confused, greatly increasing the probability of the target recognizing its master.]

[Note: Capturing humanoid creatures is not currently supported. What are you thinking? This is a giant beast snare!]

"You'll find out then..."

Ailin smiled mysteriously, spurred his horse on, and charged into the darkness.

The night grew deeper.