Such a Good Child-How Could We Ever Deserve Him?

When Francesca was still alive, the Wooden Hut was just Wooden Hut.

Although Soyer looked pale and sickly, his hands and feet were not shackled, and he appeared to be only somewhat weak.

But at this moment, the space around him was distorted.

The desolate grotto and the man-made Wooden Hut trembled, alternating between reality and illusion.

The faint fragrance of flowers was masked by the stench of blood, and the filthy blood gradually stained the uneven ground red.

Ultimately, the horrific scene in the grotto prevailed.

Soyer's eyes were tightly closed, and he was barely breathing.

Not only were his limbs shackled, but his burlap outer garment was also tattered, with only a few pieces of cloth partially covering him.

The exposed flesh resembled shattered porcelain, covered in bleeding cracks, a sight that sent chills down one's spine.

Ailin didn't understand.

Why are some people able to survive such injuries?

How was it that he was in such a state of mind just now, calmly and methodically discussing the alliance with Francesca Fantaby?

What is supporting him?

But one thing is clear: Soyer's condition has worsened.

The fluctuations in spatial distortion are a manifestation of uncontrollable forces.

He was in very poor condition, much worse Ailin had imagined, and seemed on the verge of dying at any moment.

"Ailin, have you ever thought about your background and origins?"

Vesemir's voice jolted him from the horrific scene before him.

What is his background and origin?

What kind of question is this?

Ailin tilted his head in confusion.

Soyer is practically dying right in front of me, and you're asking me about the background of a Witcher?

Shouldn't we be pushing forward with all sorts of Vessel of Great Deeds, Second Mutation, and evil magic, regardless of their usefulness?

"No," Ailin shook his head. "Witchers don't need a background, much less a lineage."

"Didn't you even think about it at all?"

Ailin nodded, puzzled. "At least after the Trial of Grasses, it hasn't happened again."

After all, from that time on, this body had a new owner.

Vesemir remained silent for a long time after hearing this. She bit her lower lip and looked at Soyer, who had his eyes closed and was not saying a word, with a struggling expression.

No matter how firm the promise, when the time comes, a simple word is heavier than the majestic Blue Mountain.

It's all bottled up inside, like a stone sinking into the sea, impossible to break through no matter what.

She knew she was running away; she was clinging to the status quo.

Now she can gaze unabashedly at her most perfect masterpiece in the world, casually bestow precious potions upon him, impart profound and obscure knowledge, witness his growth, and secretly enjoy the adoration, gratitude, and dependence of her blood relatives, as well as the praise from others...

But once the hidden truth is revealed, all the foundations upon which these things exist will crumble and cease to exist...

"Phew~"

Vesemir gasped for breath, the impending future suffocating her, as if her throat were being tightly gripped.

"Lady Vesemir, are you alright?"

Ailin supported the Sorceress, who had suddenly turned pale and was silent, thinking that Francesca Fantabe's arrival had aggravated Soyer's condition and caused her great anxiety.

He asked with concern, "Is it because the Vessel of Great Deeds is not working?"

"It's alright, we still have Second Mutation."

"In this world, there are always more solutions than problems."

Vesemir covered her chest with her right hand, her gaze lingering on Ailin's face with reluctance, as if the next second would be their farewell.

"The Vessel of Great Deeds is too late," she said softly, taking a deep breath and suppressing a certain emotion. "Soyer's body won't live to see the day when Ronnie Dickinson's Vessel of Great Deeds is fully understood."

"As for the Second Mutation, Ida Emin told me that she would soon find the answer in Thomas Molu's mind."

"But I don't know if it will work, or if it can be used on Soyer, Ailin, I really don't know."

"Ida Emin and I, and indeed the entire Aretuza Academy, are not known for our research in Xenogeneic Mutagenesis. We are more skilled in traditional alchemy, transmutation, and spatial and elemental magic."

"Xenogeneic Mutagenesis is the traditional domain of the Rissberg Civil Conglomerate, with only Ben Ade College able to get involved due to certain connections."

"Since the previous Chief Sorcerer of the School of the Wolf left Kaer Morhen and returned to the Rissberg Civil Conglomerate, the school's research on Genetic Mutation, mutant biology, and witcher modification has come to a complete standstill."

"My involvement can only rely on research in the alchemy and potion-making branch to create White Gull Potion and release spells to stabilize mutations..."

Vesemir spoke very quickly, blindly pouring out everything she knew about Xenogeneic Mutagenesis into Ailin as if she feared she might never have the chance again.

It's more like an outpouring of certain emotions, emotions that are hidden in the words, omnipresent yet extremely subtle.

Until one moment, all sound abruptly ceased.

The whole world seemed to suddenly fall silent.

"Ailin..."

She cried out softly in anguish, tears streaming uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes:

"Soyer's name is already on Death's register."

Ailin's heart sank. This wasn't the first time Vesemir had broken down in front of him.

Having returned for just over a day, the once aloof Sorceress, who could wipe out hordes of water ghosts with a wave of her hand and was proficient in alchemy, rituals, and magic, was now as fragile as an ordinary woman whose beloved was dying but who was powerless to help.

He couldn't help but think pessimistically, "Is the chief really beyond saving?"

Without Soyer as a connector, is the disintegration of the School of the Wolf not far off?

Just like in the game, after Vesemir dies, the once-a-year reunion flame can no longer be lit in the castle hall.

So what should he do?

Is the School of the Wolf forcibly formed around the Monster Hunting Legion?

Can the School of the Wolf, which is about to suffer a devastating blow, really withstand the malice from Ben Ade and the Rissberg Civil Conglomerate?

"Ailin".

Vesemir's voice pulled him back from his wandering thoughts.

"What, Lady Vesemir?" Ailin's dilated Cat Eyes suddenly contracted as they focused on the Sorceress's delicate, tear-filled face.

Almost the instant his eyes met the Sorceress's.

A sigh, steeped in the stench of blood, echoed faintly in the Wooden Hut.

But Ailin didn't have time to tell whether the sigh came from the chief of the School of the Wolf, whether it was his imagination, or if it was real.

"Ailin, you are a descendant of the Henrietta Family and Triens Family, Child of Miracle born of a witcher and Sorceress, you are..."

"Our children!"

At this moment, the Sorceress's suppressed emotions erupted, and she lost her composure, letting out a hoarse roar of the secret buried deep within her heart.

In an instant.

It was as if a standard fireball from the Wild Hunt had exploded in Ailin's mind, the flames scorching her thoughts.

He instinctively turned his head to look.

The Grandmaster of the School of the Wolf, sitting cross-legged on the cold rock slab, also cast a complex gaze at him.

Helplessness, pity, but mostly apology.

In an instant, many images flashed through Ailin's mind.

Everything seemed to have an explanation.

Why did he encounter Soyer, who was passing by, during ordinary combat training right after passing the Trial of Grasses, and even give him what appeared to be magical jewelry but was actually a mirage pearl, a rare treasure in the world?

It's worth noting that later apprentices rarely had the opportunity to meet the chief, and those who performed exceptionally well in training never received any extra rewards.

Why Vesemir so affectionate and selfless towards him, teaching him alchemy and ritual studies without any cost, and even introducing him to Ianna, the High Priest of the Temple of Melitele, a renowned master of ritual studies in the world?

Bottle after bottle of Veridian Sigh, the outrageous position of Witcher Company Commander, the "Magic Staff" in the Apprentice Combat Tournament...

It turns out that all these preferential treatments were not because of the "miracle" of the "Child of Miracle," but because of the "child."

The root of it all is that he is the child of the Grandmaster of the School of the Wolf and the Crimson Fox...

Parents will give their all to their children.

But how could that be?

How can a witcher have a child with Sorceress?

How could he have a child with Sorceress?

This... this... this has never happened before, neither in the original work nor in the game!

"Ailin ..." Vesemir approached with concern.

Ailin instinctively took a step back, and the Sorceress's hand froze in mid-air.

"I'm sorry," he said, gathering his thoughts, his expression still showing shock, "Are you sure it was me? I mean..."

"I cut your umbilical cord, and I personally delivered you to Kaer Morhen," Soyer said softly, sitting cross-legged on the stone bed.

Vesemir wiped away her tears and quickly spoke up, "Ailin, we've been watching you grow up..."

"As a Witcher?" Ailin countered.

Soyer and Vesemir fell silent, their eyes filled with even deeper guilt, their expressions somber, as if they wanted to say something but couldn't.

Ailin felt a bit dramatic. He, an orphan in two lifetimes, suddenly had a father and a mother. Who would have thought that such a plot would happen to him?

It turns out that the Child of Miracle" never referred to his identity as a time traveler.

The child of a witcher and Sorceress —who dares to say this isn't a miracle?

To be honest, Soyer and Vesemir have always treated him well, and he should accept them as his parents, both for financial reasons and out of affection.

He wasn't someone with extremely high moral standards. As an orphan who managed to survive to adulthood and do quite well, Ailin's moral standards were extremely flexible.

But at this moment, he instinctively felt uncomfortable, as if he had a natural fear of spiders, pythons, centipedes, and scorpions without even learning it.

Anger surged to his head, and his burning emotions ignited every vein in his body.

He restrained himself and avoided making any inappropriate moves.

Ailin knew this was the influence of his predecessor.

Memory is personality.

After transmigrating, he absorbed all of his predecessor's memories, so it was impossible for him to be completely unaffected.

It took him several days to realize his true identity and avoid the danger of developing a split personality.

This was thanks to the fact that the predecessor's life was monotonous enough.

But in a sense, Ailin, who possesses all the memories of the two, is both the middle manager who was rewarded and poisoned by the boss, and also the unknown child of the School of the Wolf who died silently in the Trial of Grasses.

A child who has only lived for thirteen years and spends all his time training will naturally not have any impact on an adult who has lived for thirty years and has a wealth of experience.

But obviously, extreme emotions are an exception...

His predecessor hated his biological parents, and he had every reason to hate them.

after all.

His biological parents abandoned him, subjected him to agonizing trials, and then killed him, leaving him in a state of agony that could distort his personality.

Therefore, at this moment, Ailin's tone was uncontrollably aggressive.

"Now tell me this, what do you want?"

Ailin suppressed the turbulent emotions in his heart and spoke as calmly as possible.

"Are you begging for my forgiveness?"

"No." Soyer's throat bobbed, his mouth filled with the smell of rust.

He sighed softly, "Forgiveness is something we've never even dared to hope for."

"Your mother and I..." He paused, then changed his form of address, "Vesemir and I just didn't want to despicably take advantage of your precious tools."

"I also want to say a final goodbye to you."

Soyer grinned, a smile tinged with rust, then, looking at Ailin's ashen face, which was radiating suppressed anger, he said frankly:

"Don't blame your mother, it was my decision to send you to Kaer Morhen."

"She kept denying it, kept trying to pull you away from this path, and we had a falling out for several years."

"Before the Trial of the Mountains, she tried to take you away from Kaer Morhen several times."

"She has always loved you."

Soyer offered no explanation or defense, taking all the blame upon himself.

Vesemir opened her mouth, unable to bear it any longer, and said, "Ailin, we've never been good parents, but there's a reason we raised you to be a Witcher..."

"Vesemir, don't say anymore..." Soyer gently shook his head. "In the end, it's all because I've been indulging in a meaningless path and imposing my own desires on you."

"In the end, the so-called path to glory never existed; it only harmed both oneself and others..."

"It's a pity you confessed too late," Soyer said regretfully, looking at the wounds all over his body. "If it had been earlier, I could have let you beat me up a few times to vent my anger, but now..."

"I'm about to die without you even lifting a finger."

"You can't be branded as a patricide, or I'll be compounding my mistakes."

"You've always been a rational person. I'll tell you everything about the School of the Wolf in the next few days. It's just a pity you won't be able to hold onto your position as the next chief."

"However, I will have Vesemir take over..."

"Wait!" Ailin interrupted Soyer.

He took a deep breath. "I need some time to calm down, we can talk about the rest later..."

Maintaining the basic courtesy of nodding, Ailin was about to leave the Wooden Hut when Vesemir called him back and handed him the container of Ronnie Dickinson's Vessel of Great Deeds.

"No need," Ailin said, glancing at Vesemir, whose eyes were brimming with tears, and then at Soyer. "It's not time to give up yet."

"Keep your research on the Vessel of Great Deeds. Continue to urge Ada Emin to find the principle behind the Second Mutation and the laboratory in Toussaint. Also..."

He paused, then said expressionlessly:

"Don't worry about no one understanding Xenogeneic Mutagenesis, I'll find a way."

He finished speaking.

Ailin left the cabin without looking back.

There was a moment of silence in the cabin, followed by a long sigh.

"How could we possibly be worthy of such a wonderful child?"