253. What Wolf Doesn't Eat the Lamb at Its Doorstep?
[Name: Water Divination]
[Type: Magical Ritual]
[Requirement: Ritual Magic LV2]
[Materials: Body of Water1, Fifth Essence2, White Myrtle Petals2, Pearl2, Moon Fragment1, Berberkan Fruit1]
[Function: Gaze into a body of water to briefly see an event that occurred in the past two days or is currently happening.
- Viewing past events requires Ritual Magic LV2.
- Observing current events requires Ritual Magic LV5.
- Whether viewing past or current events, you must overcome the influence generated by the participants in the event.]
[Note: Is the cost your problem or the Water Divination's problem?]
The Fifth Essence, Pearls, Moon Fragment...
Just a single pearl costs at least 500 Orens.
Although the Moon Fragment is not an actual piece of the moon, it is a precious mineral. Its mystical properties, particularly its feminine qualities, make it valuable in the field of occultism, with a market price of around 700 Orens.
Allen clearly remembered this material because it was one of the items available for exchange at Ban Ard, thanks to the Chief.
All in all, gathering everything needed for the Water Divination ritual would cost nearly 3,000 Orens.
Even Ianna, the Archpriestess of the Melitele Temple, one of the most respected individuals in the entire Northern Continent, couldn't help but show a pained expression when she saw Vera snap her fingers and casually produce all the materials Allen needed.
Originally, Ianna had only planned for Allen to try out two simple but practical rituals, the Magic Message and Water Divination, to pique his interest. Then, through continuous practice of the Purification Ritual, which was relatively inexpensive, he could grasp the basic methods and essence of Ianna's ritual practices.
But unexpectedly, Vera unhesitatingly pulled out all the materials for both the Magic Message and Water Divination.
It was as if she had been prepared all along.
Naturally, Allen wanted to refuse at first, but Vera's cold, expressionless face made his heart shudder. It felt like facing a natural predator, and his instincts stopped him from refusing.
As for the outcome of the rituals:
The Purification Ritual rewarded them with a bottle of dog tallow.
The perfect gem infused with the Magic Message was strung together by Vera and worn around her neck.
Allen had intended to summon a scene from two days ago, where the Wild Hunt galloped across the sky, but only two ripples appeared on the water's surface—he failed.
Only with the assistance of Vera and Ianna was he able to shift focus in time and reflect the scene of the giant ice cluster in the Floating Port trading market.
In summary:
Compared to the "Ritual: Flesh Golem," which only requires blood, flesh, and bones, the rituals taught by Ianna were safer and more practical, but the materials were much more expensive.
Allen realized his initial thinking was somewhat flawed.
Apart from the Purification Ritual, which was cheap and suitable for dissemination, the other two rituals were too costly for most Witchers of the Wolf School to afford and had little practical value. However, for his school and his Witcher Corps, these high-cost but low-difficulty and safe rituals were a perfect fit.
For example:
The Magic Message is extremely useful for group actions, including but not limited to reconnaissance and exploring underground ruins.
As for Water Divination, its uses were even broader—Allen could already think of a dozen different applications.
More importantly:
A ritual is not a skill.
Though it can't be improved or its power enhanced, it also won't increase Allen's character level. No matter how many rituals he learned, it wouldn't reduce the rewards for hunting monsters.
A perfect match for his Witcher Journal!
"Tap tap tap~"
The crisp sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway, interrupting Allen's thoughts.
In the next moment, the Witcher's nose twitched.
The tangy aroma of tomato stew, mixed with the sweet scent of grain from creamy bread, wafted through the hallway.
It stimulated the Witcher's keen sense of smell.
"Gurgle~"
Allen's stomach growled loudly after a busy morning.
The sound echoed in the empty statue hall, amplifying the embarrassing noise of his stomach.
The Witcher blushed slightly.
"Alright, we're done for the morning. Go ahead and have your lunch," Ianna chuckled as she handed the remnants of the ritual over to Nenneke, who had arrived with Lysa.
Taking the basket of food from the young priest, Allen glanced at the three statues of the goddess.
"Uh… Eating in front of the statues like this, isn't it a bit disrespectful to the ladies?"
In the rush earlier, he hadn't paid attention, but now that he was being watched by statues of a maiden, a pregnant woman, and an old woman, Allen felt a little uneasy. Ianna, Nenneke, and Lysa all burst into laughter at his comment.
"Melitele is the mother of all things," Lysa said, covering her mouth as she laughed, "Would you feel disrespected eating in front of your own mother, Allen?"
The young priest's words brought an odd stillness to the hall.
At first, Lysa had been collecting the remains of the ritual as usual, but when Nenneke gently nudged her in the back, she realized her mistake.
"Sorry… sorry, Allen… I forgot you… I didn't mean to…" Lysa stammered, flustered.
"It's fine," the Witcher said with a casual smile, "I'm used to it!"
He truly didn't mind.
After all, having lived alone for over thirty years, he was no longer the overly sensitive child he used to be. Lysa, after checking for a while and seeing that he truly wasn't upset, let out a long sigh of relief.
At this moment—
Snap
With a snap of the fingers, two large shelves instantly appeared, filled with neatly arranged magical materials.
Among them were even extremely expensive items like pearls and mithril. Magical light flickered across the shelves. The surge of magic caused the emblem on the Witcher's chest to hum.
Vera suddenly turned her back to the Witcher, facing the magical materials.
"I won't be coming for the next few days; I have other things to handle."
"Ianna, if you need any materials during practice, just take them from here…"
Without another word or farewell, the sorceress left. The remaining few people exchanged bewildered glances. After a few seconds of silence, Lysa hesitantly asked: "Is it because of me?"
Ianna gently patted the young priest's shoulder and softly said: "Don't worry, dear, it has nothing to do with you…"
Then she glanced at the equally puzzled Witcher, sighed internally, and nodded before leaving as well.
------------------
Leaving the sanctuary and stepping into the garden, Ianna soon spotted Vera. She was staring intently at a bright red carnation in full bloom.
After watching the sorceress for a while, Ianna said, half-jokingly, "I thought you'd be crying."
"I'm just feeling a little uncomfortable," Vera replied without turning around.
She stared at the blood-red, layered petals and muttered again, "Just a little uncomfortable…"
Ianna had never seen Vera like this before.
Strange, brave, sharp-tongued, vengeful...
She had seen many sides of Vera, but never this one.
Such a lost expression, such tired evasiveness...
This made Ianna suddenly feel a bit jealous of that boy in the sanctuary who was less than one-sixth her age.
Though...
Only a little.
She took a deep breath, silently reciting a prayer to the Lady, calming the emotions she shouldn't have had. Then, she asked: "Are you really not going to tell him?"
There was a long silence.
Vera withdrew her gaze from the flower petals and stared directly into Ianna's eyes.
Then...
She firmly shook her head.
Ianna looked at Vera's expressionless face and sighed helplessly: "Don't worry, I won't tell him."
--------------------
Three days later, in the morning.
At the sanctuary.
"Not bad... not bad..." Ianna withdrew her right hand and nodded with satisfaction. "I can no longer detect any energy from the evil god within you."
"But just to be safe, you should still stay here for the full seven days before leaving..."
The warm flow in his body gradually faded, and Allen regretfully confirmed it once again. The Wolf Medallion couldn't detect the energy Ianna called divine power.
Then.
"Don't worry, Mother Ianna," he opened his eyes and joked, "How could I bear to leave before finishing learning all your rituals?"
"I wish I could stay a few more days..."
"Hahahaha~" Hearing this, Ianna laughed heartily, gently patting Allen's head with a kind smile: "I was just teasing you the other day."
"As long as you want to learn, you can stay here as many days as you like. Even if you don't return to Kaer Morhen, I can still take care of you..."
Well... that won't be necessary...
Allen thought.
There were still many things waiting for him at the Kaer Morhen...
"Too bad..."
Ianna's tone changed as she gently stroked Allen's hair, with a hint of regret: "Too bad, there aren't many more rituals you can learn from me."
"With your monstrous learning speed, I guess in just a few days, you'll have drained me dry..."
Huh?
Not many rituals left to learn?
Allen was stunned for a moment, looking at the ritual book in Ianna's arms.
Other than learning three rituals on the first morning, over the past few days, he'd only learned about one ritual every half day, and the pace was slowing down.
Even after he had spent thirteen experience orbs to raise his ritual learning skill to level 5 on the first night, the progress hadn't been as fast.
After all.
What took time wasn't learning the rituals, but setting them up. The large ritual he learned yesterday, just arranging and processing the materials, and completing even the most basic ritual circle, had taken him half a day.
Of course.
That life-boosting ritual, which increased healing abilities by a percentage, was definitely worth the time. So, in these three days, Allen hadn't even learned double-digit rituals.
"Mother Ianna, have you really been drained dry this quickly?" Allen asked in surprise.
Ianna wasn't angry, spreading the book open in her arms, pointing to one of the rituals inside: "Do you want to learn this one?"
Of course...
Allen was just about to say so, but when he saw the name of the ritual, his face suddenly turned red. On the old, yellowed parchment, the name "Fertility Ritual" was clearly written.
"And this one..." Ianna turned another page.
This time, it was a "Safe Delivery Ritual."
"The next one is more suited to you..." Ianna turned another page, "But you're not old enough, and besides..."
She smirked playfully, "I've heard that Witchers don't really need rituals to enhance their... performance..."
At the top of the page was a name that looked a lot like a potion—"Blood of the Stag."
Allen glanced at it, helplessly rubbing his forehead: "Mother Ianna, please stop teasing me..."
In the days he had spent with the Archpriestess, Allen had discovered that Ianna was indeed a kind and gentle old lady. She was nurturing and considerate, never holding back while teaching him rituals. But she also had a bit of a mischievous streak, often teasing him just like now, with a touch of dark humor.
"Hahaha~" Ianna laughed again at Allen's words, then stared at his blue cat-like eyes for a while.
Her gaze made him feel uneasy, so he shifted slightly and asked: "What is it, Mother Ianna? Is there something on your mind?"
Ianna shook her head and sighed: "If it weren't for your eyes, I'd sometimes wonder if you're really a Witcher..."
Allen blinked, not having a chance to respond before Ianna continued: "At your age, what Witcher hasn't been out in the world, causing trouble wherever they go?"
"If young Witchers didn't usually lack money, they'd spend every night in the pink taverns..."
"Like your mentor Vesemir, the stories of his wild youth are still talked about in Ellander..."
"And you..."
Ianna looked Allen up and down, smacking her lips, saying: "What kind of wolf doesn't eat the lamb delivered right to its mouth..."
The Witcher was speechless.
After a few seconds of silence, he forcefully changed the topic: "So, are the rest of the rituals like that?"
Hearing this, Ianna looked at Allen with pity, sighed, and said: "Don't pressure yourself too much. It's important to relax—balance between work and rest is the right path..."
Huh?
Allen almost couldn't hold back anymore.
Was the Archpriestess of a major god, his elder, subtly suggesting that he should... relieve his stress?
Ianna seemed to have guessed what the Witcher was thinking and pointed to the statues of the maiden and pregnant woman:
"Unlike the ever-proper Kreve, the Lady is the goddess of fertility..."
"Embracing one's desires is encouraged in the Lady's teachings..."
"Mother Ianna, let's focus on the rituals..." Allen, feeling he couldn't win the argument, once again steered the conversation away.
This time, Ianna didn't press further. She sighed again and, after saying, "Cherish those in front of you," finally got serious: "After all, I'm the Archpriestess of the Melitele Temple, and many of the rituals I know are related to fertility and harvest..."
"So while there are still a few more rituals you can learn, there really aren't that many."
Allen nodded while letting out a breath of relief: "If that's the case, Mother Ianna, please hurry and teach me the remaining rituals!"
"Alright, alright," Ianna responded to the Witcher's urging, ruffling his hair, and sighed softly: "I'm really in debt to you Witchers..."
Witchers?
The Witcher, holding his hair, caught the key word.
But before he could ask.
"Tap tap tap~"
Hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from the corridor outside.
"A little lamb has arrived..."
Ianna's ears twitched, and she glanced at the Witcher.
The next second.
Lysa appeared, running over.
"What's wrong, Lysa?"
"Archpriestess, the old Duke is urgently looking for you..."
.......
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254. The Echo of Falka.
255. Where's the Ghoul?
256. He Is Already Dead!
257. I, Allen, Declare You the Strongest!
258. We are family, aren't we?