218. Mary Came to Learn.
"Can I come along?"
Vera turned her head in surprise. This was the first time Mary had dared to make a request. The sorceress asked, expressionless, "Why do you want to come with me?"
Under Vera's cold gaze, Mary unconsciously took a step back.
"Yeah, why do I want to come along?"
"It's already late at night, and there's nothing exciting going on with Allen. Just two sorcerers. Why am I even going?"
Mary was already regretting her impulsive and rash behavior. But now, saying it was a joke or a moment of impulse would surely lead to a worse outcome. Anxious, Mary's brain raced, and just before Vera's patience ran out, a spark of inspiration hit her: "In... in the letter bird message, Allen sent a few more potion formulas..."
"I wanted to ask him about the methods for brewing them and if there were any important details to pay attention to..."
Mary carefully glanced at the sorceress, trying to gauge her attitude. When she saw Vera's cold, indifferent expression, Mary felt her courage fade, her voice becoming softer and quieter.
"Of course, if it's not okay, then never mind."
"I can study them on my own just the same..."
"You may come," the sorceress suddenly said.
"Okay, then I'll stay here at Kaer Morhen and—"
Mary's head, which had been drooping lower and lower, suddenly shot up. In disbelief, she asked, "What? Vera, you're... agreeing?"
The sorceress gave a slight nod. Mary was so happy she nearly jumped for joy, quickly stepping toward the portal. But Vera stopped her with an outstretched hand.
"Change your clothes..."
Mary froze for a moment, then glanced down at her pajamas, blushing instantly. She quickly changed, but even after that, Vera still blocked her path. Vera sighed as she looked at the bewildered and awkwardly fidgeting Mary.
"Weren't you going to ask about potion brewing methods?"
"Aren't you bringing materials and alchemy tools?"
"How exactly are you planning to ask?"
-------------------
Somewhere in a mountain camp south of the Pontar River.
Whether genuine or not, the fact that Bogdan and Radek willingly went to Kaer Morhen saved the witchers a lot of trouble.
After dinner.
Tomas Moreau and Makarov woke up briefly but were soon knocked out again by Allen. The four of them chatted for quite some time.
When the crescent moon hung high in the sky and stars filled the heavens, even the excitement of betraying Ban Ard and joining Kaer Morhen couldn't keep the two sorcerer apprentices, who had been traveling all day, from falling asleep. Their eyelids were drooping, fighting off sleep.
Allen looked over at Vesemir and said, "Let's rest for now, Master Vesemir."
"It's already late, and Mary is probably just now receiving the bird message. Lady Vera must have already gone to bed."
"She probably won't arrive until tomorrow morning or around noon..."
Vesemir nodded slightly. No matter how much the sorceress liked her apprentice, she wouldn't come running at a moment's notice.
After sending the two half-asleep sorcerer apprentices to bed, Vesemir glanced at the unconscious Tomas Moreau and Makarov lying on the ground. Then he turned to Allen and said, "You should rest first. I'll wake you in the second half of the night."
Allen nodded.
Unlike Bogdan and Radek, Allen didn't need a tent and blankets to sleep. He simply leaned his back against a large stone, crossing his legs.
"Sssss—hooo—"
With each breath in and out, the sounds of the surroundings grew clearer, but half of his mind slipped into a calm state. Allen had entered a meditative trance. Seeing Allen enter his meditative state almost instantly, Vesemir nodded in satisfaction.
---------------
Under the starry night sky, the campfire had burned down to its last embers, crackling every few seconds. But the gentle warmth radiating from the fire was even more comforting now, perfect for sleeping.
The flickering light cast shadows on one side of Allen's face. With his eyes closed, the mature, dependable aura he had during the day vanished. In its place was the innocence and faint weariness of someone who had yet to shed the last of their youth.
"He's still just a child," Vesemir sighed.
Yes, Allen was still a child.
No matter how much of a genius he was, no matter how many incredible potions or skills he created, he was only fourteen.
"What was I doing when I was fourteen?" Vesemir thought as he looked at his apprentice, whose face was illuminated by the firelight.
At fourteen, he was in the prime of his life.
Having just survived the deadly Trial of the Grasses, the young Vesemir traveled with the most respected witcher in the Northern Realms, Sol, slaying monsters and defending the people.
Back then, he was young and handsome. No matter which city he entered, he was met with admiration and awe. Noble banquets, flowers from maidens, the gratitude of the common folk...
Every witcher of the Wolf School was a hero in the Northern Kingdoms, especially in Kaedwen. He had once basked in praise, indulgence, and reverence, living a carefree life. He never had to think about whether his school might collapse tomorrow. But Allen...
He hadn't even fully completed his witcher training and was already burdened with the responsibility of his school's survival.
---------------------
When did everything start to change?
When did it get to the point that, to maintain the honor of the school...
No!
To keep Kaer Morhen standing in the Blue Mountains, they now had to rely on a fourteen-year-old apprentice to seek, struggle, and strive. Looking back at the recent Ban Ard expedition, Vesemir could see it clearly.
From the moment the king's envoy arrived at Kaer Morhen, if it weren't for Allen, the school might have been blinded by its past prosperity and walked right into the trap laid by the king and the sorcerers.
Countless times, just a single misstep would have led to ruin. But Allen, almost single-handedly, carried the Wolf School through the abyss. Though there were still threats from Ban Ard looming ahead, compared to the precarious situation they had faced before leaving the mountains, things were worlds apart.
"It's truly shameful," Vesemir thought.
As his mentor, his role during all this had been nothing more than not dragging Allen down.
So...
How could he do more?
Vesemir felt troubled.
"How can I be of greater help to my apprentice, to the future of our school?"
As Vesemir pondered, the cool spring night breeze blew past. He suddenly looked up. His amber cat-like eyes locked onto the darkness at the end of the road, his right hand gripping the hilt of his silver sword.
A few seconds later.
"Step... step... step..."
Soft footsteps could be heard. The approaching person didn't seem to be hiding their presence, walking openly toward them.
"Master Vesemir..."
At this moment, Allen was also startled from his meditation. After glancing at the still "sleeping" Tomas Moreau and Makarov, he, like Vesemir, gripped the hilt of his silver sword.
At the same time, his left hand reached into his potion pouch, grabbing a "Cat" potion. Silently, he rose to his feet, standing beside the witcher master, on alert. However, it didn't take long. As the footsteps grew clearer, a graceful figure wearing a hood emerged from the shadows of the night.
The figure removed their hood, revealing a delicate face with a gentle smile, and both witchers almost simultaneously lowered their right hands.
Vesemir glanced at the sky.
Although he had anticipated Vera's concern for Allen, for her to show up at this hour...
It just proved that he had underestimated the relationship between the two.
Did Vera wait around after sending the Messenger bird, and as soon as she received a reply, rush over immediately?
Vesemir couldn't figure it out and looked toward his apprentice, confused about what magic Allen had over people.
A biological child wouldn't receive this much attention, right?
"Lady Vera!"
Allen joyfully rushed forward. He hadn't expected the sorceress to arrive so quickly. Before he could take more than a few steps, another petite and graceful woman... no, girl emerged from behind the sorceress.
"Mary!"
"You came too?"
This time, Allen was genuinely surprised.
"What? Am I not allowed to come?"
Seeing Allen's astonished expression, Mary was delighted. She put her hands on her hips, and her large eyes curved into crescent moons, reflecting the stars scattered across the sky.
If it weren't for Lady Vera walking in front, she would've probably run up to him, eager to have a good look at the little witcher she hadn't seen in a while.
"It's not that..." Allen hesitated, "But why... why are you carrying so much stuff?"
Indeed.
Lady Vera appeared as elegant and beautiful as always. But Mary looked quite strange. Panting, her face flushed...
Not only did she have a large leather bag slung across her body, but she was also carrying a pack on her back, and...
A pot.
"None of your business!"
Mary's face immediately darkened, turning from sunny to cloudy with a chance of rain. Finding an excuse to leave was hard enough for her!
It was bad enough carrying a bunch of stuff, but she hadn't expected Lady Vera to open the portal right at the entrance to Vergen. A dignified sorceress, hauling a bunch of ingredients and a pot no less...
It had taken her nearly half an hour to walk here.
Luckily, it was nighttime.
Otherwise, her reputation as a legendary sorceress would have been ruined.
"Mary was worried about you. As soon as she heard that you had been attacked again by the male mages of Ban Ard, she begged me to let her come along," explained the sorceress, arms crossed, smiling.
"Lady Vera, I wasn't worried about him! I was just... just here to learn potion recipes," Mary blushed, tapping the cauldron behind her loudly in an attempt to defend herself.
"Sure, sure."
Lady Vera brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, smiling quietly without exposing the truth. That explanation only made it worse. The potions mentioned in the messenger bird's message were mostly only usable by witchers due to their physiology.
Why would a sorceress come out in the middle of the night to learn recipes of "no value" to nobles or mages? Could that really be considered normal?
Mary realized this as well. Her cute face turned an even deeper shade of red, almost matching the flames of the dying campfire.
Allen was touched by her words.
"The new potions aren't urgent. Both of those Ban Ard mages are right there on the ground."
He stepped forward, shifting the topic while also helping Mary take off her backpack and cauldron.
"Thank you," Mary whispered, still blushing.
"Don't mention it."
Allen looked at the girl's large, blinking eyes in the firelight and suddenly found it amusing. You came here to help me. Even if you learned the potion recipes, it would only be to help the Witcher Corps in the end.
What's there to thank?
Vesemir stood by with his arms crossed. After nodding a greeting to the sorceress, he watched with a smile of interest as Allen helped Mary unload her many bags, making no move to assist. He found this scene more entertaining than any play he had ever watched.
-----------------
About half an hour later.
"Ban Ard will find out eventually. Once they match the list of missing apprentices, they'll be able to trace it back to those two male mage apprentices."
"You've traveled through so many places, it's impossible not to have left any traces."
The sorceress analyzed coldly, looking down at the two unconscious male mages on the ground: "But for now, you don't need to worry."
"They're in a lot of trouble right now. Not only are the nobles of Kaedwen after them, but the sorceresses are also very curious about what happened that day."
"Tissaia, the headmistress of Aretuza, along with a few senior sorceresses, is currently visiting Ban Ard."
"So they may not be able to gather people quickly enough to investigate thoroughly."
"Once I've cleaned up the magical traces here, even if they suspect, there won't be any evidence that these two were captured by you."
"After all..."
"Ban Ard has made a lot of enemies over the years, and there are plenty of people eager to take them down."
"In such uncertainty, they wouldn't dare mess with you directly."
Vesemir and Allen both nodded, feeling a bit relieved. However, they also knew in their hearts. Even if this incident went unnoticed for now, the School of the Wolf would inevitably clash with Ban Ard someday. So, while things seemed good for the moment, they couldn't afford to relax.
"As for the second mutation you mentioned..."
Vera hesitated, looking at Allen:
"I can give it a try, but male mages like Tomas Moreau place great value on the memories in their minds."
"To be honest, I'm not very confident."
Allen was a bit disappointed to hear that. But in the end, it was just a gamble.
Besides...
Tomas Moreau should have a laboratory for the second mutation. The question was whether it would be in Toussaint's Valley of the Nine, like in the game...
And whether there would be equipment and research methods for the second mutation inside.
"We'll take a dual approach!" Allen thought.
Once the curse was lifted, he could head to Toussaint to investigate. Coupled with Lady Vera's memory search and interrogation...
If all else failed, killing Tomas Moreau might still give him a chance to access the memories of the second mutation. He refused to believe he wouldn't achieve his goal.
"It's alright, Lady Vera. If it doesn't work, I have other ways to get what I need."
Vera nodded.
Snap!
With a snap of her fingers, a portal appeared. Vesemir lifted Tomas Moreau and Makarov, heading toward the portal.
Once they were delivered to Kaer Morhen, Vesemir would return through the portal. Bogdan and Radek bid farewell to Allen and followed close behind.
It's worth noting that once Bogdan learned Vera's identity, not only did his enthusiasm soar, but even Radek became hopeful about the future.
In his words, "She's the Scarlet Red Fox! Far better than those idiots at Ban Ard!"
Though Radek didn't know that even Mary, Vera's own disciple, had been largely left to her own devices.
Next was Mary.
Even though she hadn't learned a single word about the new potion recipes...
Since Lady Vera was about to leave, how could she stay behind?
So, Mary clumsily loaded herself up again with the things she had carried over and followed behind Radek, ready to step into the portal. At that moment.
The sorceress suddenly stopped her:
"Mary, what are you going back for?"
....…
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219. The Wild Hunt.
220. Time to Take Off Your Leather Armor!
221. Quickly Take Off All Your Clothes, Let Me Measure Your Size!
222. Loyalty! Loyalty?
223. The Monster that Brings Doom.