Do You Sorceresses Never Transform Your Clothes Too?

The owl's feathers are grayish-brown, and its yellowish-brown pupils gleam in the darkness.

Seeing Ailin into the room, after exchanging a few glances with him, he immediately flapped his wings and landed fearlessly on the oak table.

Its round, furry body imposingly occupied more than half of the small round table.

Ailin glanced at the bold little fellow and then at the Wolf Emblem on his chest that remained motionless.

The Temple of Melitele is located deep in the mountains, and the Witcher's residence is on the ground floor, so many small animals often come to visit.

It's common to wake up to find birds perched on the windowsill, ants moving house in the corners, squirrels begging for food, and spiders spinning webs...

There is no shortage of natural delights.

Although I have never seen an owl before, these creatures are nocturnal, and I have seen them before in Mahakam behind the mountain.

Uncommon, but quite reasonable.

However, those big, bright, yellowish-brown eyes...

Ailin was certain that the little guy who was staring at him blankly was Tissaia de Veris's student, the Brotherhood of Sorcerers's patrol warlock, and his future partner— Philippa Ehrert.

"Incredible Transfiguration skills," Ailin thought to himself.

If he hadn't already known that Philippa Ehrert was skilled in shapeshifting, and if there hadn't been scenes in the original owner's novels and games where she transformed into an owl to travel and gather information, he really wouldn't have recognized her at all.

Her feathers, expression, and movements were exactly like those of an ordinary owl, and there was no magical fluctuation at all. She even pretended to be confused.

certainly.

Even if you don't know this information or can't recognize it, it's okay.

When you encounter an unidentified creature, it's always a good idea to get it identified.

[Name: Philippa Ehrhardt]

[Attributes: Strength 13, Agility 21, Constitution 19, Perception 84, Mysticism 147]

It really is Philippa Ehrhardt.

It's safe to say that she is indeed the beloved disciple of Tissaia de Veris; her attributes far surpass those of ordinary warlocks.

Ailin thought for a moment, then pulled out another panel.

[Name: Margarita Laux Antill]

[Attributes: Strength 11, Agility 9, Constitution 12, Perception 76, Mysticism 81]

Philippa Ehrert's attributes are far superior to Mary's, almost an all-around crushing victory.

However, this does not mean that Mary is less talented than Philippa Ehrhardt.

Mary is only sixteen years old, while Philippa Ehrert has already graduated from Aretuza and even worked for the Brotherhood of Sorcerers for quite some time.

Although Ailin didn't know her exact age, she should be over twenty.

In the early stages, whether you're a warlock, a demon hunter, or even an ordinary person, this is the period when your attributes improve the fastest, and each year is different from the last.

It only gradually slows down after adulthood.

Therefore, Mary will soon be able to catch up with Philippa Ehrert.

To be honest, with these attributes and his excellent shapeshifting ability, as long as he has some combat experience, he probably won't be a hindrance when rescuing Hen Gedimidis.

This put Ailin at ease.

But now that their identities have been confirmed, a question arises.

What does she want with me so late at night?

He watched as Philippa Ehrhardt preened her feathers, even pretending to be an owl.

First, let's rule out love at first sight.

Although he was quite confident in his appearance, and it was said that witchers were also physically attractive to Sorceress, he was, after all, just a fourteen-year-old boy, at most a little more mature.

Philippa Ehrert's XP, however, is the Sigismund Dijkstra version.

(Sigismund Dijkstra, the future head of Riedania intelligence in The Witcher 3)

In the original work, Sigismund Dijkstra, who never wore a hood, was nearly seven feet tall, weighed almost two loads, and had an unwavering preference for brightly colored clothing, was described as follows:

"When he crosses his arms in front of his chest—a habitual gesture of his—it looks like two sperm whales crouching in front of a giant whale."

"In terms of his facial features, hair color, and skin, he looks more like a pig that has just been washed."

Of course, you could also say that Sigismund Dijkstra was young once, and who knows, he might have been a very handsome man when he was young.

However, Sorceress are always fickle and, being Long-lived race, are exceptionally open about sex.

in addition.

Given Philippa Ehrert's future status, she would be no weaker than Sigismund Dijkstra even within Riedania, let alone across the entire Northern Continent.

So Philippa Ehrert's love for Sigismund Dijkstra is genuine.

Of course, true love is one thing, but the grudges and entanglements related to betrayal in the relationship are another matter entirely.

However, since it wasn't love at first sight, I wanted to hook up with him.

If it continues to disguise itself as an owl and refuses to show itself openly, then the possibility is actually quite slim.

What, not-so-urgent, arrangements does Tissaia de Veres have to announce?

Or perhaps Philippa Ehrhardt wanted to intimidate him and establish her dominance before collaborating?

Well, the latter is more likely.

Of course, it's also possible that both are true.

But he also wants dominance...

So, a show of force...

Ailin, who had originally intended to directly expose Philippa Ehrert's identity, thought for a moment and then pretended not to have seen through her disguise, approaching quietly.

At this moment.

Meanwhile, Philippa Ehrert, who had transformed into an owl, was unaware that she had been exposed.

She saw Ailin's expression and felt a surge of joy.

"He's been tricked!"

However, he outwardly remained patient, like a true owl encountering a strange creature.

The beak, which was preening its soft tail feathers, paused in its movements, tilted its head, and stared warily at the newcomer. With its wings slightly spread, its size immediately doubled.

This is a warning and a deterrent.

"Relax, little one," Ailin stopped and soothed him gently, "I meant no harm."

To be honest, choosing an owl as the subject of a transfiguration is indeed a good choice.

Because owls symbolize wisdom, life and death, loyalty and nature in the Northern Continent, they are sacred birds that convey divine will in many religions of the Witcher world.

Meritellie is one of these religions, and the owl in the field symbolizes a bountiful harvest.

Therefore, traveling and gathering intelligence in the form of an owl is not only convenient because it is small, can fly, and is not easily detected, but also because these symbols are very safe and will not be accidentally harmed by some naughty children or hungry farmers.

"A mere child who hasn't even grown all his hair yet, who can't even distinguish between shapeshifting techniques, wants me to relinquish control..."

Philippa Ahart lowered her guard and couldn't help but feel smug.

When I told the dean about Ailin's choice in the afternoon, he actually told me to follow his arrangements for the rest of my schedule?!

How could Philippa Ehrhardt bear to feel wronged like this?

No matter how astonishing the rumors are—what about killing a god? What about single-handedly fighting hundreds or thousands of demons? What about subduing Greater Griffin, an alchemical genius...?

How could a patrol warlock who had been in the Brotherhood of Sorcerers for so many years not know?

They certainly have real skills, but they tend to exaggerate to some extent.

And then there was the Dean's repeated pronouncements, "Ailin is the most promising Witcher I've ever seen," "His strength is remarkable," "He can't be treated like an ordinary Witcher," "The most important force in the future order system"...

She had never met Tissaia de Veres and had ever praised anyone else in such a tone.

But it doesn't really matter. She's not a child vying for attention anymore, which is something to be happy about.

After all, she wasn't very confident about Ban Ard, so the stronger her companions were, the better.

But the dean directly told her to follow the instructions of a fourteen-year-old child...

Isn't that a bit outrageous?

Philippa Ehrhardt was immediately inspired to rebel.

She wanted to see what kind of demon hunter this was, who was so praised by the most powerful Sorceress of the Northern Continent and had her to follow her orders.

Unexpectedly, not only did he fail to see through her disguise, but he didn't even have the basic sense of vigilance required for the first hurdle.

Philippa Ehrert shook her head slightly in her mind.

How could she possibly listen to his arrangements?

That's simply disrespectful to one's own life.

"Shh~"

After Ailin gently comforted it, seeing that the "owl" seemed to "sense" the goodwill, it lowered its guarded mannerisms and slowly took a few steps forward.

Upon reaching the oak table, the owl seemed to become "alert" again, blinking its yellow-brown eyes and spreading its wings as if about to take flight.

Philippa Ehrert thought to herself, "Since the Dean praises him so highly, and the Temple of Melitele even wants to recognize him as a Holy Son, then Ailin must be quite arrogant while he has some ability."

"To ensure autonomy and the safety of the two individuals involved in the operation, it's time to proceed to the second phase..."

My thoughts were still racing.

In the blink of an eye, Philippa Ehrert felt a sudden blur before her eyes and a sharp pain in her wings.

With lightning speed, Ailin's left hand grabbed the base of the "owl's" two wings.

Immediately following.

A flash of cold light.

A dagger suddenly appeared and was pressed against the "owl's" neck, the tip of the blade deeply embedded in its fluffy feathers.

The owl immediately stopped struggling and dared not move again.

"What happened?"

The cold and sharpness pressed against her jaw, causing Philippa Ehrert to shiver all over after she came to her senses.

She instinctively looked up and met those deep blue Cat Eyes.

In an instant.

A chilling killing intent surged through her brain, making her teeth chatter. At that moment, she even lost all feeling in her body.

"How many lives did he kill?!"

This was the only thought in Philippa Ehrhardt's mind.

"Who are you?" Ailin asked coldly. "Are you the Rissberg Civil Conglomerate, or the Ban Ade wizard?"

Why did you disguise yourself as an owl and break into my room?

What is the purpose?

Philippa Ehrert couldn't believe it.

The demon hunter, now exuding an icy killing intent, was the same person who had spoken so gently to the warm-hearted young man in the temple's reception hall just moments before.

Even more frighteningly, although Philippa Ehrert was somewhat careless, she didn't see Ailin's movements at all.

This means that even if we did it again, the result would be the same—utterly vulnerable.

But what should we do now?

Do we really have to expose our identities under these circumstances?

Etc!

I also have illusion magic! Illusion magic!

Philippa Ehrhardt attempted to channel her magic, using an illusion of an owl to impersonate herself.

"Buzz~"

The moment the Wolf Emblem hummed.

"Um?"

A cold snort.

The cold steel drew closer, and the dagger's sharpness had already cut through the throat.

Philippa Ehrhardt was now completely frozen in place, her head held high, barely daring to breathe.

"Philippa Ehrert!"

"I am Philippa Ehrert!"

"We just met not long ago!"

The threat of death made Philippa Ahart lose all restraint and immediately reveal her identity.

Feeling the trembling in his left palm, Ailin raised an eyebrow, slightly moving the dagger away, but still pressing it against "Owl's" throat:

"Philippa Ahart? How can you prove it?"

The Sorceress was quite clever; in the blink of an eye, she quickly recounted the details of today's trial and Tissaia de Veres' invitation.

Ailin released the dagger, which relieved Philippa Ahart, who was about to complain.

The next second.

"Clang!"

A flash of silver light.

The dagger, embedded deep within the neck feathers, transformed in the blink of an eye into Elder Speech.

The threat posed by a silver blade is greater than that of a dagger.

Philippa Ehrert, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly felt her heart clench and her scalp tingle.

Then she felt her wings being slowly released.

"Change back," Ailin's tone was less cold, but still wary. "I know that skilled sorcerers can read minds."

"The wizard I killed was named Ronnie Dickinson."

"It wouldn't be difficult for the Rissberg Civil Conglomerate to send people again and get this information from a witch's mind."

As a transmigrator from Dongda University, he had been exposed to and learned some PUA techniques.

He wanted to seize control in the future, so he couldn't let the matter end so easily.

The more impression he makes on Philippa Ehrhardt now, the more obedient she will be later. Trying to adjust and reconcile things during a crisis, like Francesca did, will be too late.

Ban Adrena has no inherently harmless Rock Troll or elven women with children; there are only clearly defined enemies.

Philippa Ehrhardt was somewhat annoyed at this moment.

"Ronnie Dickinson... I had completely forgotten that he killed Ronnie Dickinson..."

"How could someone who killed a member of the High Council and a candidate for the Supreme Council by any means be deceived by a transformation spell?"

Although she was blaming herself in her heart, Philippa Ehrert knew...

She hadn't truly forgotten who killed Ronnie Deakins; she simply refused to believe that the person was truly a Witcher, a fourteen-year-old boy much younger than herself, a genius of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers.

Ailin's vigilance is not a problem; what he said is indeed possible.

However, for some reason, Philippa Ehrhardt wanted to offer another explanation.

"I..."

But before he could finish his explanation, the silver-white longsword trembled, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

The owl was so frightened that its grayish-brown feathers bristled.

She dared not hesitate any longer.

"Buzz~"

The Wolf Emblem hums.

A violet halo burst forth from between the wings, and the faint fragrance of roses and laurel leaves spread with the magical fluctuations, wafting towards you.

Then, the raptor, the size of an adult's fist, slowly transformed into a human form on the oak table.

Even after the magical fluctuations subsided, Ailin still hadn't let go of Elsa.

It wasn't because he wanted to push things further, but because he hadn't expected to see such a scene.

"Don't you warlocks change your clothes when you use shapeshifting spells?"

Ailin remained silent for a while, then asked in confusion.