The Forsaken Path! The Imprisoned Soyer!

They were in a vineyard.

The thick roots of the grapevines sprout from the ground and climb and twine around the neatly arranged wooden frames, each frame topped with an exquisite lion motif.

It seems to be harvest season now, with bunches of small but plump grapes hanging down, and the air filled with the sweet aroma of abundant rain mixed with the scent of fruit.

Aside from the strangely unattended nature of the harvest and the Wolf Emblem constantly trembling on his chest, it was impossible to tell whether what was before him was an illusion.

"Although it's an illusion, the grapes are edible," Vesemir said, casually picking a bunch of grapes and handing them to Ailin with a smile. "Lumi are a top-grade grape variety used for winemaking. The raw material for East of the East is the skin of the Lumi grapes, which is fermented by mixing it with the pulp of Cintra grapes."

"The best wine grapes can only be grown in Beauclair, the royal capital of Toussaint."

"But apart from having a thicker skin and being a bit smaller, it has a sweet taste and a rich fruity aroma, making it one of the best-tasting wine grapes."

Out of curiosity, Ailin took a grape named Lumi from Vesemir and tasted one.

The skin is indeed much thicker than that of regular grapes, but with just a slight touch, the rich aroma bursts in your mouth, and the incredibly flavorful flesh practically melts in your mouth.

"This is... an illusion?" Ailin clicked his tongue in disbelief.

Whether it's an illusion or not is actually easy for him to tell; he just needs to activate the mirage bead.

But he was somewhat reluctant to leave the scenery, which was so visually saturated and instantly relaxing, as well as the sweet and juicy grapes.

Once the illusion is recognized, even if one recovers immediately, it will be very difficult to regain the same sense of immersion in sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste.

With Vesemir around and there's no danger, why bother?

"Is it good?" Vesemir conjured up a piece of white silk cloth and wiped his mouth.

"The fruity aroma is very strong, quite nice." Ailin nodded.

Vesemir's eyes narrowed with laughter, and her exquisite makeup even bore a resemblance to Ianna's kind heart.

She said with a smile:

"Lumi is a treasure that belongs only to Toussaint, only to Beauclair."

"Lumi is also grown in the vineyards of Temeria and Ard, but it has a thick skin, astringent flesh, and many seeds..."

"The Lumi, which can be used for both brewing and eating, can only grow under the year-round golden sunshine of Beauclair and the gentle care of the Sansidore River."

"Every year between summer and autumn, Beauclair wine merchants have to play hide-and-seek with the mischievous children of fruit growers in order to secure enough supply..."

"Toussaint..." Ailin continued walking, looking back at the enchanting, oil painting-like scenery with a touch of longing.

In the original novel, Toussaint is almost a city that only exists in fairy tales.

Not only does it have a mild climate all year round, but the forests and thickets on that land are also full of abundant and juicy fruit all year round, so people will never go hungry.

It is also because this country has knights who uphold the chivalrous spirit most strictly, and the people are simple and warm-hearted. It is one of the few places where later generations of demon hunters did not feel discrimination or hatred, but only respect for heroes.

It's practically heaven on earth.

"So you went to Toussaint this time to replicate the scenery here?" Ailin asked curiously.

Vesemir didn't answer immediately. Instead, she led Ailin crouching down, through the grape trellis, and pushed open the low wooden door.

The wooden door leads to a small courtyard.

A Wooden Hut sits in the center of the courtyard, surrounded by pink hollyhocks and pale purple thyme flowers.

A deckchair stood by the door, swaying gently in the breeze.

"Soyer needs this kind of environment." Vesemir nodded and stepped into the courtyard first.

Ailin followed closely behind.

However, the moment his right foot stepped across the threshold, the oppressive atmosphere that the charming and leisurely courtyard scene couldn't hide instantly dispelled the relaxed mood.

That was the dragon's might, very faint, yet impossible to ignore.

"Is the chief in this little house?" Ailin asked.

Vesemir nodded slightly, looked at the courtyard, and sighed, "We're lucky. Now is the time when he's most stable. Let's go."

At the most stable moment... Ailin's expression tightened, and he became tense.

The windows of the Wooden Hut were tightly closed, and the gaps that were visible were dark and deep, as if a hideous demon from the Wooden Hut was sealed inside.

As they drew closer to the cabin, the Wolf Emblem buzzed and trembled more violently.

The trembling reached its climax upon reaching the door of the Wooden Hut.

Ailin pressed the Wolf Emblem to reduce the sharp, piercing bang, and watched Vesemir push open the door.

"Squeak~"

The buzzing stopped abruptly, and the whole world seemed to quiet down. The wind ceased, the clouds dispersed, and only the painful groans of the wooden door hinges turning could be heard in the sky.

The door was wide open, but no more red dragons leaped out and roared.

Upon entering the Wooden Hut, even the faint, malevolent dragon aura that carried a strong sense of malice vanished.

After the Witcher's eyes adjusted to the darkness, his azure Cat Eyes suddenly narrowed to slits.

A person is kneeling on the wooden bed in a meditative posture.

He was dressed in simple linen clothes, his eyes were closed, and his face was thin and haggard. If it weren't for the fact that he was relatively clean, he would have looked no different from a beggar on the street.

But this was not the main reason for Ailin's drastic change in expression. What truly horrified him was that the man's wrists and ankles were bound with shackles that reflected a ghostly blue light, firmly fixed to the ground and the wall.

Those are Aetherium shackles specifically used to imprison sorcerers!

In that area, the "wooden bed" and the entire "Wooden Hut" space were partially obscured.

Sometimes it's Wooden Hut, sometimes it's a cold cave.

As the cave vaguely materialized, there were numerous pits and dark red marks on the gray slate floor.

The man's clothes were not as neat as those inside the Wooden Hut.

"Chief... Chief?!" Ailin's eyes widened, and he abruptly turned to look at Vesemir. "This... this..."

Lady Vesemir has imprisoned the Chief in a cave!

No wonder Francesca Fantaby has been unable to be seen. But does Master Aristo not know this?

"Soyer has the key," Vesemir explained, seemingly anticipating Ailin's reaction. "He's imprisoning himself."

Ailin paused, then looked at Soyer.

There was indeed a set of iron keys on a cabinet not far from the bed.

"Why is the Chief like this?" Ailin didn't understand. Just two or three months ago, Soyer was somewhat dejected because of the betrayal and death of his "adopted son" Haxor.

But overall it was okay, how come it's acting like a madman in an asylum now?

Could it be because of a dead king?

How could a leader of a school of thought, who has lived for hundreds of years, be so fragile?

"Soyer ... Soyer he..."

Vesemir remained silent for a long time, seemingly searching for a fitting explanation, but when she opened her mouth, she couldn't think of the right words.

At this moment.

"I betrayed my path, and this is fate's punishment for me." Soyer suddenly opened his eyes, interrupting Vesemir. "I just didn't expect the consequences to be so severe."

Abandoning the path... the punishment of fate... the consequences...

What exactly is the chief talking about?

Ailin looked at Vesemir with a bewildered expression, while Vesemir looked at Soyer with eyes full of unconcealed sadness.

fortunately.

Soyer seemed to sense his confusion and explained gently:

"When you reach a certain level of strength, everyone needs to choose a path to break through the limits and continue climbing to the top of the mountain."

"Once you embark on this path, there's no turning back. The slightest hesitation will bring you to a standstill, and I..."

He paused for a moment, then gave a self-deprecating laugh:

"I denied my original ideals and abandoned the path I had chosen, so I... fell into the abyss."

Ailin was confused, but he felt like he had grasped the key words.

Roads, extremes, mountaintops, abysses...

He didn't understand what the other three meant, but did the "limit" refer to the "limit initial" that appeared after the strength attribute reached ninety-nine?

[Attribute: Strength has reached its limit (Initial). Please seek an opportunity to improve it.]

He had always thought that the system's prompt about completing itself referred to the Second Mutation experimented by Thomas Molu, but Soyer must not have obtained the technology for the Second Mutation.

So Ailin has been wrong all along?

Or perhaps this road and Soyer's road are two different roads?

He wanted to give Soyer an evaluation, but the chief seemed to be in an unstable state at the moment, so he hesitated and didn't dare to do so.

"How do I know when I'm strong enough to choose a path?" Ailin gritted his teeth and asked directly.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you," Soyer shook his head, "But it's too early for you. Knowing too much in advance is not good."

"Moreover, when you are strong enough, you will sense it yourself without any reminders or tests."

I'll know for myself... Ailin was silent for a few seconds. Does the system prompt count as "psychic connection"?

Seeing his furrowed brow, Soyer continued gently, "When that time comes, go find Vesemir, Vesemir will tell you everything."

"Chief..." Ailin sensed the ominousness in the words and was about to say something.

"Let's not talk about this," Soyer waved his hand to interrupt, the Aetherium shackles on his right wrist rattling. "Since Vesemir brought you here, she must have something important to discuss."

"Tell me while I'm still sober."

With business at hand and Francesca still waiting for a reply, Ailin had no choice but to temporarily abandon his inquisitive mind and said:

"The Free Elves deep in the Blue Mountains have sent an envoy, keeping their promise from six months ago."

"The pact between the Free Elves and the School of the Wolf still needs your presence to sign."

"Free Elves?" Soyer paused, then realized, "They're from Sadia, right? Did they just arrive today?"

"Three..." Ailin paused, glancing at Vesemir.

"You came back with me four days ago," Vesemir sighed. "You weren't feeling well then, so I discussed it with Aristo without telling you."

Soyer remained silent for a long time before looking up at the ordinary wooden beams, taking a deep breath, and asking:

What time is it now?

"It's almost noon," Ailin said.

Soyer nodded. "Then in the evening, I will..."

"Soyer!" Vesemir interrupted him. "Have you forgotten your condition? You can't leave here now!"

"I can endure it..."

"No!" Vesemir said firmly, her tone exceptionally strong.

The Wooden Hut fell into a deathly silence.

The atmosphere was so tense that no one dared to speak.

Ailin subconsciously held his breath, but his mind was racing, trying to figure out exactly how badly the chief was injured.

Why can't they even find the time to leave this beautiful cage when they've already reached an understanding and it's just a matter of signing a contract that's practically a simple matter of signing a document?

Is abandoning that path really that serious?

"I can't stay away forever..." Soyer broke the silence, smiling apologetically and ingratiatingly at Vesemir. "I am the chief of the School of the Wolf, the grandmaster of the Ancient Sea Fortress. This is my job..."

"Have you forgotten what you said?" Vesemir's voice suddenly turned sharp, her tone filled with barely concealed panic. "You said that after everything was over, we would go back to Toussaint together, grow grapes, make wine, and compete together..."

How do you plan to keep your promise?

"Don't you want to be a part of our future?!"

Ailin, who had been avoiding eye contact and pretending to be invisible, felt that Soyer and Vesemir were both looking at him, and his whole body tensed up.

He thought Soyer was implying that he should persuade Vesemir, and that Vesemir was blaming him and asking him to persuade Soyer.

He cursed himself inwardly, "I should have just left this question alone."

But considering that it was he who proposed the alliance between the Free Elves and the School of the Wolf, and Francesca Fantaby was an acquaintance, it was ultimately unavoidable.

"How about... how about we send the Free Elves here?"

Ailin made a cautious suggestion.

He didn't know if outsiders were allowed in, but since he was allowed in, there probably wouldn't be any major problems.

He continued, "Francesca Fantabe, the messenger of the Free Elves, has been through thick and thin with me... um... friend, as long as we make sure she finds a way to shake off the guards, she shouldn't reveal the chief's situation."

"Francesca Fantaby?" Soyer found the name somewhat familiar.

"Sadia and Himles Fendaby's daughter," Vesemir explained, then looked at Ailin, "Just friends?"

Ailin shook his head speechlessly.

Is there a problem with the focus?

Is it time to gossip about my love life?

"Just friends," he said softly.

Vesemir and Soyer exchanged a glance, then lowered their heads and pondered for a moment.

"Then let's do it this way," Vesemir agreed first. "Ian Siddy needs an ally who stands against Kedwen more than we do, even if Francesca Fantaby leaks it."

"Kedwen is dead..." Ailin sighed inwardly upon hearing this.

But Vesemir and Soyer didn't seem to know about this news. Didn't they read the letter that Vesemir sent back from Arland a while ago?

"Okay," Soyer suddenly said, his expression changing and his tone becoming slightly urgent, "Is there anything else?"

Ailin was preoccupied and didn't notice Soyer's change.

He hesitated, unsure whether he should bring up the fall of Kedwen, the Wild Hunt, Drakkenberg, and the rescue of Henry Gedmidis at this moment.

To put it bluntly, without knowing whether Soyer's body could withstand the stimulation, he was afraid that if he revealed so many things, the Chief would suddenly die in front of him.

"Let's go," Vesemir said, saving him. "It's not urgent, there's no need to rush."

Ailin breathed a sigh of relief and obediently followed Vesemir away.

The fall of Kedwen, the execution of a Redania nobleman, and the offenses against the Rissberg Civil Conglomerate and the Rogrides Grand Noble shouldn't be considered urgent matters... right?

We stepped out of the Wooden Hut and left the courtyard.

The oppressive atmosphere was immediately dispelled by Toussaint's fairytale-like charm, but Vesemir did not regain the relaxation and joy she had felt upon arrival.

So they hadn't gone far when Erin, looking at the dejected sorceress Vera, tentatively asked:

"Lady Vesemir, have you heard of Vessel of Great Deeds?"