Veridian Sigh

Top floor of the main keep.

The reception room of the chief's residence.

"Rip—"

The silver dagger-like blade began at the severed neck, slicing straight through the chest and abdominal cavities.

Even after having been dead for a long time, the corpse's abdominal muscles remained taut, fully exposing the contents of its abdominal cavity to the air.

The distinctive fragrance in the reception room was instantly dispersed by a wave of putrid stench.

However.

Neither of the two people crouching beside the corpse paid any attention to the sudden foul odor.

"The King of Ice really is a scavenger."

"Although its blood carries a peculiar fragrance, the smell inside its abdominal cavity is still very similar to that of carrion-eating creatures."

"Chief, our judgment last night was correct."

Vesemir casually picked up a piece of black cloth and wiped the dagger clean, then looked up at the chief.

After roughly discussing how to process the King of Ice's materials last night, he and the chief had agreed to deal with the monster together today.

The Chief of the School of the Wolf nodded slightly.

"Since we have roughly confirmed the type of monster, let's process it as we would a carrion-eating creature."

Vesemir nodded, thrust both hands into the chest cavity, and pulled outward hard.

"Crack—crack—"

The Drowners King's ribs snapped one after another.

The peculiar fragrance once again covered the bloody stench from the abdominal cavity.

Before long, the headless Drowners King had laid itself bare before them.

"How is that possible?!"

Vesemir gasped, his dark golden Cat Eyes shrinking instantly.

At the center of the bright red chest cavity, surrounded by thick blood vessels as wide as arms, there was nothing.

Hearing this, the chief frowned slightly and lowered his head to carefully inspect where the severed arteries and veins connected.

"...The cuts are clean... yet there is very little pooled blood..."

"This heart was taken by someone."

"What?" Vesemir said in shock.

"Yes, it was taken by someone."

As though he had thought of something, the Chief of the School of the Wolf furrowed his brows and muttered the words again.

Vesemir was about to ask further.

But the chief abruptly changed the subject.

"Vesemir, what do you think of the apprentice Ailin?"

"Has he done anything strange lately?"

"Ailin?" Vesemir gave the chief a puzzled look.

Could Ailin have dug out the heart?

But how had he done it?

Could it be Witcher's Eye again?

But he could read nothing from the chief's expressionless face. After pondering for a moment and choosing his words carefully, he said:

"Ailin is an outstanding apprentice, a natural-born witcher."

"Although his behavior is occasionally unusual, his talent is extraordinarily high, rarely seen in the world."

"He is also warmhearted and kind, selflessly teaching his fellow apprentices the special techniques he developed while exploring Signs on his own..."

Vesemir continued.

"Boom—"

An orange portal suddenly appeared, interrupting what Vesemir had been about to say next.

The Witcher Master's gaze was instinctively drawn to the portal's light.

A conservative white linen dress, an exquisite blue gemstone pendant...

No, not a pendant.

That... that seemed to be a bottle of blue potion...

Vesemir was suddenly a little confused.

Was this some new fashion among Sorceresses? Hadn't they always preferred those bizarre bone crafts?

"Soyer..."

The moment the Sorceress stepped out of the portal and saw someone else in Soyer's residence, she stopped herself from saying anything further.

The Chief of the School of the Wolf gave a reserved nod in greeting.

Then he had Vesemir, who had already risen and was preparing to leave, continue.

Vera was surely very interested in Vesemir's evaluation of Ailin as well.

The Witcher Master halted, his gaze darting away slightly.

But both the chief and the Sorceress were already looking at him.

He could only do his best to empty his mind and focus entirely on his memories of Ailin over the past few days.

He did not think about anything related to Witcher Leto.

After reflecting briefly, Vesemir realized that everything Ailin had done these past few days seemed to perfectly embody the Eight Virtues of Chivalry that the chief had described during his travels. He said:

"Chief, you once told me about the Path of Glory."

Soyer and Vera exchanged looks, not understanding why Vesemir had suddenly brought up the Path of Glory while evaluating Ailin.

They both turned their curious gazes toward the Witcher Master.

Vesemir looked earnestly at the Chief of the School of the Wolf.

"Yes, I did tell you about it." After being stunned for a few seconds, Soyer nodded in acknowledgment.

"During my travels through the northern kingdoms, I have always longed for the path you told me about, and I have always tried to draw closer to it..."

"I once thought that perhaps only you could walk this path to the end now, until..." Vesemir paused for several seconds. "Until I met Ailin."

"In nearly a hundred years of life, I have never seen an apprentice like him..."

"Humility, honesty, compassion, bravery, justice, sacrifice, honor..."

"Other than seeming to have a slight problem with humility, every other virtue feels as though it was written to describe Ailin himself..."

The chief and Vera exchanged another glance, their eyes seemingly conveying many things.

After lightly touching the potion bottle at her chest, the Sorceress turned and walked toward the window.

However, from Soyer's angle, he could see the corners of Vera's lips rising uncontrollably.

In truth, he too was in a very good mood right then, until Vesemir spoke his next words.

"...So, Chief, the Trial of the Mountains..."

"Vesemir!" The Chief of the School of the Wolf interrupted the Witcher Master. "If you truly think Ailin is a natural-born witcher, then you should not say such a thing!"

Vesemir fell silent.

This time, he had been presumptuous.

But when he thought of the Trial of the Mountains, when he thought of Ailin...

The Witcher Master sighed and turned to leave.

Now that the Sorceress had arrived, there was no way they could wield blades and axes in front of her.

"Wait!"

The cool female voice stopped the Witcher Master.

"Snap."

With a snap of her fingers.

An exquisite emerald-green potion appeared in the Sorceress's hand, looking exactly like the two bottles Ailin had drunk.

"Snap."

Another snap of her fingers.

The potion gently flew into Vesemir's palm.

The Witcher Master instinctively caught it. He looked down at the potion and froze for two seconds before raising his head to look at the Sorceress.

Vera nodded faintly.

"This is for you, Vesemir."

"Take good care of Ailin."

Vesemir looked again at the Chief of the School of the Wolf, who stood with his arms crossed.

"Take it. This is Veridian Sigh. Drink it to slow aging and extend your lifespan."

"Of course, for witchers like us, its most important effect is completely healing hidden injuries."

After a pause, Soyer continued:

"On the black market, it is worth no less than your Elsa."

Hearing this, Vesemir could not help lowering his head to look at the potion, which was no bigger than his thumb.

The emerald potion glimmered with an enticing radiance of life. Every cell in the Witcher Master's body seemed to crave it.

However, Vesemir still forcibly suppressed that craving. Carefully cupping the potion in his hands, he walked toward the Sorceress.

"Taking care of apprentices is my duty..."

"Snap."

With a snap of her fingers.

The medallions on Vesemir's and Soyer's chests simultaneously leaped out from their collars, vibrating wildly with a buzzing hum.

The two witchers instinctively bent their thumbs and Index Fingers slightly, tracing triangles in the air before them.

Quen Shields instantly formed, one after the other.

The next moment.

Vesemir felt his body grow light.

He hurriedly gripped the potion in his hand tightly, afraid that he might accidentally let it slip.

Then.

The Witcher Master only heard the Sorceress say, "This is what you deserve."

Then he swiftly floated out of the room.

"Bang!"

The door to the chief's residence closed.

Inside the room, with Vesemir's "departure," the gentleness on the Sorceress's face froze over in an instant.

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