Killing Came Easily, Dying Came Simply

Vilgefortz returned to his tower.

Lydia, with her beautiful features, sat gracefully in her studio, surrounded by many tranquil landscape paintings, talking to a kingfisher hovering in mid-air.

This should have been a beautiful sight.

Unfortunately, the kingfisher occasionally let out a "clucking" laugh like a hen, making the studio feel particularly awkward and funny.

"I shouldn't have thought that way," Vilgefortz thought to himself, "After all, the Queen of the Kingfishers is also a Sorceress with exquisite looks..."

Sigri's telepathic magic, compared to mind projection magic, can only be used for one-on-one communication, and it makes it impossible to see each other's faces.

However, the alchemical vessel of the "Kingfisher" is neither as expensive as the equipment for mind projection nor as mana-intensive as the spell, so Sorceress love to use it.

Especially the carrier; for the same alchemical array, the most valuable carrier can be hundreds or even thousands of times more valuable than the basic one...

Vilgefortz shook his head, signaling to Lydia who was looking over that everything was alright, and with his mind wandering, returned to his study.

"Sigrid's telepathic magic, spell model, and casting technique all have a lot of room for improvement. Perhaps I can recreate an alchemical vessel for Lydia..."

Vilgefortz sat in a high-backed chair and waved his hand, summoning the Elder Blood and the documents of the Child of Miracle back to the oak table.

His previous research findings were destroyed in a moment of impulsiveness, so he had to start the research again.

However, after his thoughts became clear, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration and thought of a new research angle.

He felt that this perspective might allow him to see the truth and the future clearly.

but.

Ancient etchings, Elder Speech ballads, and prophetic poems adorn the elegant oak table.

Instead of immediately starting to study based on the inspiration that flashed through his mind, Vilgefortz closed his eyes.

Research is, after all, just research. The ambiguity of the prophetic poem determines that the identity of the Child of Miracle will only be verified one by one over time.

Therefore, prophecies are always discovered only after they have already been fulfilled.

"... Born in a land of bitter cold... death and rebirth... non-human... blood of elves... destroyer of nations..."

Vilgefortz murmured absentmindedly, images flashing through his mind.

A castle nestled amidst snow-covered mountains, a near-death experience after ingesting a magic potion, and azure, soul-devouring beastly eyes...

The main character in every picture has Ailin's face.

It's just that with age, whether it's being young, fearful, or resolute...

"But is Ailin really the Child of Miracle?" Vilgefortz asked the air.

The Conjunction of the Spheres, the Death of the King, the May Festival Calamity of Arland, the Wild Hunt Burning Ban Aard...

Looking back at the major events that have occurred in the Northern Continent in the past six months, all of them are related to Ailin, but to say that they are related in any particular way is too far-fetched.

The Child of Miracle must satisfy all the elements of the prophecy, but the Child of Miracle may not satisfy the elements that have already appeared in the prophecy.

Even the same element can have dozens or hundreds of forms of expression, but the true element still needs to be selected.

"The Child of Miracle cannot hide his identity forever. As events unfold, his true nature will inevitably be revealed."

Vilgefortz lowered his head and pondered:

"But the sooner we can deduce it, the better it will be for me."

"I can't wait until everyone knows his identity before I set out on my journey."

"By then, it would be too late..."

"So my line of thinking is wrong."

Vilgefortz opened his eyes and tapped his index finger on an etched copper plate of "Ithlinne's Child of Miracle".

"I shouldn't be like a dragon greedily hiding its jewels and gold coins, trying my best to conceal the traces of the Child of Miracle."

"The Child of Miracle... The Child of Miracle..."

"The person who can create miracles and survive in extreme adversity is, of course Child of Miracle."

Vilgefortz stood up, walked to the window, and looked in the direction of the library.

Under the night sky, the place was empty, with only the deepest, muddy darkness.

"Only Sunny, Senne, and Miguel know about the School of the Wolf."

"If I hadn't revealed the miracle at this time... it would have been several days before the uninformed Ban Ad learned about the descent of the Evil God in Arland after Ailin had subdued the Greater Griffin."

"Given the current situation of the Radical Faction, the attitude of the kings, and the threat of the Wild Hunt, they are already focused enough. Even if the news comes, they probably won't pay attention to the details. Moreover, once the matter is settled and the Evil God is banished, it's possible that no one will even look at this material..."

"But now, Sunny, who already despises the School of the Wolf and would send Senne to kill anyone he encounters on the street, must be furious, wishing he could burn Kaer Morhen alive and kill every single witcher, but..."

"Now that he's been ravaged and completely alienated from Kedwen, does Ben Ade still have the ability to threaten the School of the Wolf?"

"Can you still create a flame hot enough to molten gold and iron for the Child of Miracle?"

to be honest.

Vilgefortz didn't know, just as he doesn't know now, why the Riesberg Group Civil Cooperative would help Ban Ad.

Senne's excuse was too lame and too perfunctory.

Trying to capture Wild Hunt alive and personally getting involved is clearly not a wise move, and the profit-driven Riesberg Group Civil Cooperative is unlikely to do so.

"But it doesn't matter," Vilgefortz thought to himself.

"Life always needs some surprises."

Just as Vilgefortz was leisurely anticipating Senne's surprise, Senne himself in the underground library did not like the two surprises Vilgefortz brought.

Under the pale purple magic lamp, the huge library, a stark contrast to the deserted state it was when Vilgefortz was there, was bustling with people.

Some contacted the Riesberg Group Civil Cooperative, some arranged countermeasures in case of Wild Hunt attack, and others argued about who to ask about the war's progress.

The wizards have all withdrawn from the front lines of the war between the two countries, and even the court sorcerers of King Rado of Kedwen have returned. The Wild Hunt has also completely destroyed the city of Ban Aard.

The current wizarding academy is like an isolated island in Kedwen.

Contacting other countries in the Northern Continent is still possible, but getting information about domestic developments is as difficult as climbing to the sky.

certainly.

While there aren't many warlocks who can use teleportation, there are still some Radical Faction ones.

With the Wild Hunt lurking outside the academy, no one was willing to head to Ad Kalley.

After all, although Ban Ad was not far from Ad Kale, it took exactly two portals to reach him.

Moreover, the portal itself is a highly advanced form of magic, and warlocks capable of casting it hold a very high status among Radical Faction.

therefore.

The high-ranking wizards all spoke insincerely, urging Senne to prioritize the greater good and deal with the Wild Hunt threat first before discussing anything else.

In response to this.

Senne had no choice but to compromise.

He is not Henry Gedimidis.

The reason he was able to become a leader among the Radical Faction and seize the greatest power in Ban Ade today is neither because of his strong strength nor his research capabilities.

Rather, it was the incitement of emotions and the sorcerer's dissatisfaction with Henr Gedimidis's conservative tendencies.

He wanted to lead Ban Ade, and he still needed the strength of these people.

Is this matter that serious?

Miguel noticed that Senne was sitting on the sofa with a grim expression and whispered to him.

He didn't understand why the Witcher taming a Greater Griffin seemed more serious than the Wild Hunt's attack.

"Serious?" Senne laughed angrily. "If that damned witcher really did tame that Greater Griffin from Ard, do you know what would happen?"

"What happens?"

Miguel was a sorcerer focused on ritual studies and was genuinely unaware of the intricacies involved.

In fact, he had no idea that the Greater Griffin had attacked Ard.

and...

What can you do with a Greater Griffin wasn't even part of the plan?

Kedwen's national strength and military power have always far surpassed those of Ard.

Senne looked up at Miguel, opened his mouth, and waved his hand weakly.

He was certainly able to analyze the impact of the departure of the Greater Griffin from Ard and the withdrawal of the wizards from the front lines.

But what's the point?

Explaining these things to Miguel would not help the situation at all.

"Let me go," Miguel said. "Although I specialize in ritual studies, I still know how to use portals. I'll go with Ade Kale too..."

"No!" Senne interrupted telepathically, "You are the person I trust most in Ben Ade."

"But..." Miguel hesitated.

"Actually, I have already asked the people in the civil joint venture of the Sberg Group to inquire about it. They will bring the news when they arrive."

"Then why..." Miguel stopped mid-sentence, his voice trailing off.

He's just politically insensitive, not stupid.

Senne was testing his position and prestige among the Radical Faction high priests.

Unfortunately, the result was not good.

This is closely related to his losses in the Passerlon Forest.

"That's not your fault." Senne noticed Miguel's disappointment and comforted him, "Even if I went myself, I wouldn't be much better off. I might even die in Passoron."

Miguel sighed and shook his head.

He glanced at the seemingly busy crowd inside the library.

Before the Radical Faction had even risen to power and before even Henry Gedimidis was properly settled, signs of division were already emerging.

"To create a kingdom belonging to wizards..." Miguel thought absently, "Is such a thing really possible?"

The two wizards sat in silence for a while.

Under the purple magic crystal lamp, the male wizards in the library were busy at work, creating a thriving scene.

But what is the reality?

"Once the Wild Hunt is over," Senne instructed with a gloomy look in his eyes, "You will have someone spread the word that the School of the Wolf has violated neutrality and interfered in the war."

"But...no one will believe that, right?" Miguel was taken aback.

Through Tissaia de Veris, they did indeed receive news that the Witcher named Ailin had subdued the Greater Griffin, and that Vesemir, the target of Vilgefortz's assassination attempt, was also there.

Therefore, even without news from within Ard, they could deduce that the Greater Griffin was almost certainly the one from Vengerberg.

But others don't know...

Compared to Ben Ade's reputation, the School of the Wolf is more credible.

"Unless it's revealed that we sent assassins..."

"It doesn't matter," Senne shook his head. "All we need is an excuse."

He paused, then gritted his teeth and said:

"I've been too busy dealing with the Wild Hunt lately to deal with those damn outdated experiments."

"Dozens of Witchers from the School of the Wolf dared to retaliate against our Ban Adler. Once the Wild Hunt is driven away, I'll have a good time with them..."

Before he could finish speaking...

Senne suddenly paused, then abruptly stood up.

"What's wrong?" Miguel stood up as well.

"The people from the Sberger Group's civil joint venture have arrived!" Senne's expression was a mixture of excitement and trepidation as he looked towards the brass doors of the library. "The one leading them is Otolan..."

"One of the five members of the Talent and Skill Association who are on par with Hen Gedimidis, the legendary mage Otolan."

Two days later.

Mahakam Mountains.

Sharp teeth pierced his neck, and blood flowed down the teeth onto the ground.

The forests at the turn of summer and autumn never fail to reward any powerful predator.

Each Ghoul, carrying a prey in its jaws, walked deeper into the forest.

"Hiss~"

The leading Giant Ghoul suddenly sniffed and stopped in its tracks.

The Ghoul also stopped and looked around.

Just then.

Several dark figures suddenly darted out from the low bushes nearby.

"Roar--"

The Giant Ghoul immediately released the heavy black bear's carcass from its mouth, roared angrily to warn its Ghoul, and was about to flee in the opposite direction according to its instincts.

He suddenly realized that there were only nine humans among the visitors.

The Giant Ghoul tilted its hideous head covered in black spikes, hesitating for less than two seconds.

Among the nine humans, a figure suddenly darted out, like an arrow shot from a fully drawn longbow.

In the blink of an eye, they rushed in front of him with lightning speed.

Before it could react, the Giant Ghoul only saw a pair of chilling, deep blue beast eyes.

Then a flash of cold light, and the world turned upside down.

The Giant Ghoul then lost consciousness.

"Has the commander's strength increased again?"

Kray watched as Ailin, not far away, severed the Giant Ghoul's head with a single sword stroke, an effortless task even easier than when he killed the water ghost.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Ernie drew his sword and shouted in the gale, "When has the captain ever needed to use 'again'? Isn't every battle stronger than the last one?"

Kray was momentarily speechless.

It seems that this is indeed the case; every time I see Commander Ailin in battle, he is stronger than the last time, no matter how much time has passed.

"Of course I know. What I mean is, this time it's ridiculously strong."

He remembered that the last time he encountered Giant Ghoul, Commander Ailin had at least used a roar and an Axii Sign.

With a single slash, the Giant Ghoul died, utterly devoid of the dignity befitting a large monster.

In a daze, Kray even felt that he could sleep with him.

Become Witcher Master younger than Ailin, starting today.

Then he moved a little closer.

The Giant Ghoul had just died, and the lingering pressure from its death caused his hands to tremble slightly and his whole body to shudder.

He knew it.

He can't do it.

He couldn't kill as easily as the commander.

He will die a very simple death.