Chapter Summaries

Ailin accepted Soyer’s decision to keep the School of the Wolf at Kaer Morhen and learned that Tomas Morra remained uncooperative in interrogation. After discovering Soyer’s painful history with Haxor, Ailin wondered why Soyer had asked him about becoming chieftain instead of choosing his devoted former ward, Vesemir.

• Soyer rejected relocating the School of the Wolf to Arland, and Ailin agreed to focus on strengthening the Witcher Company instead.
• Soyer told Ailin that Macaque was cooperative but Tomas Morra remained tight-lipped, and he warned Ailin to stay out of the interrogations.
• After Ailin left, Soyer told Vesemir he would help secure Ailin’s future as chieftain and dreamed aloud of returning with her to Toussaint.
• Soyer questioned the meaning of his life as a witcher, and Vesemir comforted him by promising they would go home together.
• Vesemir explained that Soyer had saved Haxor and his mother and helped them secure royal power, prompting Ailin and Vesemir to curse Haxor.
• Ailin reflected that Soyer had asked him about becoming chieftain despite Vesemir’s devotion, and wondered if Vesemir was not Soyer’s favorite child either.

At Kaer Morhen, Vesemir told Aristo and the Witcher Apprentices about his and Ailin’s adventures in exchange for five bottles of rare wine. Ailin’s reputation and his Monster Hunting Legion members’ loyalty grew, and the chapter ended with the Apprentices wondering whether Aristo or Ailin was stronger.

• Ailin met Rumon, a scarred former Witcher who cooked for the School of the Wolf, and reflected on the fate that might await him.
• Ernie and the other members of Ailin’s Monster Hunting Legion greeted him, and Ailin discovered their loyalty had risen above ninety.
• Aristo returned to Kaer Morhen, and Vesemir wagered five bottles of Old Rule that his account of their journey would be worth hearing.
• Vesemir recounted their encounters with a Greater Griffin, the Wild Hunt, and wraiths while giving Ailin most of the credit, increasing the Apprentices’ admiration and the Legion members’ loyalty.
• After Vesemir finished, Aristo envied Ailin’s achievements, and the Apprentices debated which Witcher was stronger.

Vesemir arranged an unrestricted duel between Ailin and Aristo so the Witcher Masters could establish who would lead the Witcher Company. Ailin accepted, but when he entered the training ground without taking a potion from his pouch, Vesemir suspected his apprentice was setting him up again.

• Aristo wondered how Ailin's strength compared with his own, while Vesemir challenged Ailin to fight him.
• Ailin accepted Aristo's offer of a proper match, and Aristo agreed to duel him.
• Vesemir bet Aristo five bottles of East of the East that he would lose, expecting Ailin to use his potions.
• Aristo asked whether Ailin wanted a swordsmanship or unrestricted duel, and Ailin chose the unrestricted match.
• Ailin removed his pouch of vials but took no potion, leaving Vesemir worried that his apprentice was about to swindle him again.

Ailin and Aristo began a practice-sword duel, and Aristo discovered that Ailin’s physical abilities and defense exceeded his expectations. After Aristo announced he would stop holding back, Ailin smiled and said he would get serious too.

• Ailin assessed Aristo’s attributes before Vesemir started the duel.
• Both witchers charged and exchanged a rapid series of blows, with Aristo’s attack driving Ailin backward.
• Aristo realized Ailin was stronger and more physically capable than he had expected, while Ailin’s defense held firm.
• The apprentices debated whether Aristo had been going easy, while Vesemir worried that Ailin was avoiding a strategy that could secure victory.
• Aristo praised Ailin, announced he would get serious, and waited for him to recover.
• Ailin smiled and told Aristo he would get serious too.

Ailin faced Aristo’s renewed charge without using potions, then revealed a terrifying power that overwhelmed the veteran witcher. Aristo was blasted from the training ground, and the chapter ended with him seeing Ailin’s sapphire eyes flickering with ominous red light.

• Ernie, Klar, and the other members of the Witcher Company trusted that Ailin would defeat Aristo, while Vesemir and Aristo wondered why Ailin had not prepared a potion.
• Aristo charged Ailin and unleashed his three-step, three-rotation Spinning Slash.
• Ailin’s eyes flared red, and a vision of a towering golden-furred monster erupted before Aristo, crushing him with overwhelming pressure.
• Aristo used the Alde Sign to clear the dust, but Ailin appeared behind him and shattered his Quen Shield with a blow that sent him flying from the field.
• Aristo looked back as he flew and saw Ailin’s sapphire eyes glowing with wild, unnatural red light.

Ailin defeated Aristo with the overwhelming power of Roar: Frenzy, though the skill left him severely weakened afterward. As Ailin prepared to apologize, Aristo instead asked what the golden-furred beast he had seen was.

• Aristo’s charge sent Ailin through a fence and into Vesemir, and both Witcher Masters crashed into a wall.
• The apprentices mistakenly celebrated Ailin as having defeated both Aristo and Vesemir, while Aristo wondered about the golden-furred monster behind his defeat.
• Ailin recovered inside the dust cloud and checked his Handbook, finding that Roar: Frenzy had drained his stamina and reduced his health and magic.
• Ailin decided he needed to apologize to Aristo for beating him in front of the apprentices, then hurried out to meet him.
• Aristo interrupted Ailin’s apology and asked what kind of monster the golden-furred giant beast had been.

After Ailin defeated Aristo with a roar, he connected Aristo’s vision of the King Kano to his own mysterious encounter and said the goddess had granted him the skill. The conversation moved to the Witcher Company, where Ailin outlined plans for monster hunts, training, and managing its growth.

• Ailin questioned Aristo about the golden-furred beast he had seen and recognized it as the King Kano from his strange vision.
• Ailin told Aristo that the King Kano was not from their world and that Goddess Meritellie had granted him the powerful skill; Aristo and Vesemir were astonished.
• Vesemir signaled that the apprentices should not hear the private discussion, so Aristo sent them back to training and led Ailin and Vesemir away.
• As they walked to the castle hall, Aristo asked Ailin about the Witcher Company’s future, and Ailin described plans for monster hunts, combat training, equipment, and a system of rewards and ranks.
• Aristo and Vesemir regarded Ailin with increased respect after hearing his plans for the company.

Ailin recounted a carefully altered version of his meeting with Goddess Meritellie to Vesemir and Aristo, concealing the prophecy of the White Frost apocalypse. Vesemir recognized that the goddess’s old-crone form meant a disaster prophecy and asked Ailin to trust him more, leaving Ailin to decide whether to reveal the truth.

• Ailin described Meritellie's divine kingdom and his blessing to Vesemir and Aristo while hiding the frozen kingdom and the White Frost prophecy.
• Aristo believed Ailin's account, abandoned his plan to seek King Kano, and invited Ailin to inspect the apprentices before leaving.
• Vesemir questioned whether Meritellie had said anything else, then explained that her old-crone form always accompanied a prophecy of disaster.
• Ailin stayed silent about the apocalypse, unwilling to burden Vesemir with the approaching threats.
• Vesemir admitted he had not been a perfect mentor and asked Ailin to trust him more because he was his elder.

Ailin refused to tell Vesemir about the White Frost, promising to explain after the crisis at Kaer Morhen was resolved. As he returned to the southern tower, he wrestled with the possibility that he was destined to save the world, then resolved to keep developing his abilities before someone suddenly rushed toward him.

• Ailin told Vesemir he could not yet share what troubled him, and Vesemir agreed to wait until the threats to Kaer Morhen were dealt with.
• Rumon praised Ailin for defeating Aristo, while Ailin admitted Aristo had held back during their duel.
• Vesemir reassured Ailin that he was his apprentice and a member of the School of the Wolf, and urged him not to face future troubles alone.
• Ailin reflected on the White Frost, the prophecy of the Child of Miracle, and the possibility that his arrival was meant to save the world.
• Ailin decided to test Roar: Frenzy and continue building his strength, but an agitated figure suddenly rushed toward him.

Mary told Ailin that Vesemir had spared her and asked him how he had changed Vesemir’s mind; Ailin explained that Vesemir had opened up about aging, death, and parting. After leaving Mary and Yennefer, Ailin began cultivating Roar: Frenzy, but the Wolf Emblem vibrated as he tried to control its energy.

• Mary excitedly thanked Ailin because Vesemir had not punished her, then asked what he had said to Vesemir.
• Ailin explained Vesemir’s reflections on aging, death, and parting, and asked Mary to find a way to comfort her.
• Mary agreed to keep teaching Ailin apprentice bombs, Sword Oil, potions, and spells, while Yennefer asked Mary where Ailin had gone.
• Mary revealed her book, How a Magical Lady Could Cleverly "Attract" Handsome Men, and complained that it was useless.
• Ailin studied the Beast Roar skill and circulated Roar: Frenzy’s energy through his body.
• As Ailin tried to move the energy farther from his tongue, the Wolf Emblem on his chest hummed.

Ailin struggled to maintain Roar: Frenzy, then spoke with Lady Vesemir, who tried to persuade him to leave witchering and asked whether he wanted to become head of the School of the Wolf. He concealed his ambition and declined to discuss the succession, and Vesemir ended their conversation by asking if he wanted to know who his parents were.

• Ailin’s Roar: Frenzy practice faltered, but he noticed modest gains to his attributes.
• Lady Vesemir visited Ailin and asked whether he intended to remain a witcher, suggesting safer careers instead.
• Vesemir asked if Ailin wanted to become the next head of the School of the Wolf, and Ailin privately welcomed the prospect but claimed it was too early to discuss.
• Vesemir accepted Ailin’s answer, and Ailin tried to reassure her about Soyer before she asked whether he wanted to know who his parents were.

Ailin wondered whether Vesemir knew his birth parents and concluded that she was probably not his mother, while resolving not to seek out or forgive the people who had abandoned him. Vesemir returned to the Alchemy Room consumed by guilt, where Margarita Laux Antille stopped her.

• Vesemir asked Ailin whether he wanted to know who his birth parents were, but he refused her offer to investigate.
• Vesemir left after telling Ailin not to exhaust himself, then began to say what he could do if Ailin ever wanted to find his parents before stopping herself.
• Ailin considered whether Vesemir might be his mother, then decided he was likely the child of someone she and the Chief had known.
• Ailin refused to pursue his birth parents, believing they had abandoned him and that he had no right to forgive them for the suffering he endured as a witcher.
• Ailin began a cycle of Roar: Frenzy, while Vesemir returned to the Alchemy Room feeling guilty and convinced Ailin resented her.
• Margarita Laux Antille blocked Vesemir's path, and Vesemir demanded to know what she wanted.

Vesemir discovered that Mary had been trying to comfort her on Ailin’s behalf, then apologized for what happened because of the abyss. In Kedwen’s capital, Duke Donato and his allies discussed Rado’s rule and waited for an emissary, who arrived with news that the School of the Wolf was moving to Arland.

• Mary told Vesemir that Ailin had asked her to find a chance to comfort her, and Vesemir found Mary’s book about attracting handsome gentlemen.
• Vesemir apologized to Mary and said it was because of the abyss.
• In Adal, Raphael told Count Nasi that Rado had executed Philis for supposedly defecting to Duke Donato and warned that Rado had changed since taking the throne.
• Raphael said the nobles had chosen Nasi to replace Rado, while Gile defended Philis’s loyalty and the Toussaint tutor Dite.
• A newcomer emerged from a portal and announced that the situation had changed and the School of the Wolf was moving to Arland.

Duke Donato and his allies learned that the School of the Wolf might relocate to Arland, threatening their plans against the witchers. They decided to lure witchers into dangerous monster contracts across several kingdoms and secretly track the casualties while Senne left to investigate Tomas Morra in Adal.

• Senne reported that Mason had invited the School of the Wolf to relocate to Arland, and Raphael warned that the witchers might accept.
• Raphael and Gile concluded that they lacked the forces to attack Kaer Morhen directly because of the war and Senne's other obligations.
• Senne left through a portal to investigate Tomas Morra in Adal, saying he expected Rado to receive him.
• Duke Donato ordered Raphael to conceal information about difficult monsters, raise their bounties, and secretly count the witchers who died or were injured.
• Duke Donato told Gile to inform Rado about the School of the Wolf's situation and directed Raphael to spread the scheme beyond Kedwen while remaining discreet.
• Naxi questioned why the others seemed unhappy with Donato's plan, but Donato, Raphael, and Gile did not explain.

Ailin demonstrated his strength by killing eighteen drowners, then promised the Monster Hunting Legion they could descend from Kaer Morhen once half the apprentices earned approval and passed the Trial of the Mountains. He noticed the drowners seemed stronger than before and headed to the Circle of Elements to visit the rock trolls and prepare for a possible Conjunction of the Spheres summoning.

• Ailin swiftly killed eighteen drowners as Ernie and the other apprentices watched in amazement.
• Ailin promised the Monster Hunting Legion they could leave Kaer Morhen once at least half the apprentices qualified for the Trial of the Mountains, prompting the witchers to commit to training them harder.
• Ailin stayed by the creek after the others left and suspected the drowners had grown stronger because of the Planetary Alignment.
• Ailin checked his Summon I quest, which required two more units of Rock Troll blood, and decided to visit Big Stone, Broken Stone, and Little Stone at the Circle of Elements.

Ailin found Mountain Stone’s Rock Trolls hungry after the promised rotten meat deliveries stopped, and Big Stone threatened to leave because they could not find acceptable food. Ailin offered Mountain Stone work protecting Kaer Morhen in exchange for meat, then realized he might have a way to help the trolls stay.

• Ailin killed fourteen drowners and noted that their levels had risen since winter.
• Ailin heard a commotion at the Rock Trolls’ camp and found Big Stone confronting Mountain Stone and the hungry trolls.
• Ailin learned the rotten meat deliveries had stopped after a month and that the trolls refused to ask Kaer Morhen for food because they considered it begging.
• Ailin apologized to Mountain Stone and brought rotten meat, which Mountain Stone accepted as compensation.
• Ailin offered Mountain Stone work protecting Kaer Morhen, but Big Stone still argued that the trolls should leave because they could not find food.
• Ailin suddenly realized he might have a way to help the Rock Trolls stay.

Ailin used a troll cookbook to persuade Big Stone to accept Mountain Stone and his tribe, then went to Old Spearhead’s cave to perform Meritellie’s Concealment Ritual. The chapter ended as Ailin began praying to the goddess before summoning a Conjunction of the Spheres.

• Ailin gave Big Stone a book about cooking Drowners, and she agreed to let Mountain Stone and his Rock Trolls stay.
• Mountain Stone’s tribe welcomed Ailin, gained Respect, and joined Ancient Sea Fortress as legendary troops.
• Big Stone asked Ailin to find more books and writings related to trolls, and he agreed to discuss payment if he found any.
• Ailin declined Big Stone’s invitation to eat a Drowner feast, warned the trolls that an earthquake might occur, and left for Old Spearhead’s cave.
• Ailin cleared the cave of Drowners, prepared Meritellie’s Concealment Ritual, and began praying to the goddess.

Ailin summoned Rock Trolls through the Conjunction of the Spheres, but a Ghoul-Troll Spirit emerged with them and began hunting them. Ailin unleashed a powerful sword strike that split the spirit in two, and the monster’s extermination reward settlement began.

• Ailin completed the Rock Troll blood collection quest, accepted the next quest, and triggered a Conjunction of the Spheres.
• Six Metal Trolls appeared in Old Spearhead's cave, followed by a level 69 Ghoul-Troll Spirit that killed one and chased the others.
• Ailin identified the Ghoul-Troll Spirit and charged after it to protect the summoned Metal Trolls.
• Ailin activated Hunt Demons and unleashed a radiant blade of energy that split the Ghoul-Troll Spirit in two.
• Ailin received notifications that Hunt Demons had reached 100% and that the Ghoul-Troll Spirit had been exterminated.

Ailin killed the Ghoul-Troll Spirit with one strike, then used Primal Tongue to bring four Metal Trolls back to the Rock Troll camp. After returning to Kaer Morhen and seeing the apprentices train, he asked Klar who had delivered rotten meat to the Circle of Elements a month earlier.

• Ailin defeated the level 69 Ghoul-Troll Spirit with a single blow and collected its emerald, Residue of Grudge, treasure chests, and Experience Orbs.
• Ailin calmed the four remaining Metal Trolls with Primal Tongue, and they surrendered and agreed to follow him.
• Ailin brought the Metal Trolls to Mountain Stone and Big Stone, who welcomed them and learned that they could sense distant metal veins.
• Ailin returned to Kaer Morhen and watched Ernie and the Monster Hunting Legion train the apprentices with renewed intensity.
• Ailin reconsidered his unfinished rotten-meat agreement with Mountain Stone and asked Klar who had transported rotten meat to the Circle of Elements a month earlier.

Ailin learned that Aristo had stopped the apprentices from feeding the Rock Trolls, but Aristo ultimately let Ailin decide their role after invoking the wolf pack’s rule of strength. Ailin realized Aristo had been looking toward the highest place in Kaer Morhen, then returned to his room and considered his growing abilities before receiving a prompt to use the Ghoul-Troll Spirit’s Purification Spirit.

• Klar told Ailin that Lady Mary had arranged for the apprentices to feed the Rock Trolls until Aristo returned and ordered them to stop.
• Ailin went to find Aristo and prepared to argue that the Rock Trolls could help protect Kaer Morhen from future threats.
• Aristo agreed to let Ailin choose the wolf pack’s direction because Ailin had defeated him, but warned him never to trust monsters that had hunted humans.
• Ailin realized Aristo had been looking toward the empty windowsill at the School of the Wolf’s highest place.
• Ailin reviewed his Witcher’s Handbook and his recent progress with Roar: Frenzy, then failed to reproduce the Sword Aura he had used against the Ghoul-Troll Spirit.
• Ailin received a prompt asking whether to use the Ghoul-Troll Spirit’s Purification Spirit.