The warmth of spring. The temple grounds were filled with vibrant green grass and colorful, bright flowers...
Tall and sturdy trees cast long shadows, while a cascading waterfall brought refreshing mist. The ancient and solemn temple buildings were enlivened by delicate purple flowers blooming on the vines...
As the Goddess of Harvest, the Mother of All. The beauty of the Melitele Temple was breathtaking. The witcher, carrying two swords on his back, walked on the gravel path, breathing in the faint scent of flowers. However, his mind wasn't on the scenery before him.
He was thinking.
If something went wrong during the May Festival, what could the potential issues be?
"Undoubtedly, the ceremony is the most likely point of failure..." the witcher thought.
Based on Ianna's description yesterday.
There were two ceremonies involved in the May Festival. One was an exorcism ritual to drive away monsters and beasts, and the other was a ritual using the power of the Goddess Melitele to soothe the spirits.
"The first one already began yesterday, with only a conclusion on the festival day."
"So..."
"The most likely point of failure should be the exorcism ritual's material—the urine of a wyvern."
"If something goes wrong with that, and during the festival when the commoners are celebrating outdoors, if it attracts any monsters, it will definitely lead to disaster."
"But as long as the urine is genuine, a wyvern without natural enemies is indeed a very safe choice."
"However..."
"This has nothing to do with me. Over the next few days, Ianna and the old duke will surely lead people to recheck everything, and they might even set up more exorcism rituals along the parade route."
"Even if someone tries to sabotage the ritual, the old duke will likely increase patrols and inspections after being alerted..."
"As for the second ritual..." the witcher furrowed his brow in thought.
The May Festival in Ellander was famous throughout the northern continent. Every year, many people came to witness it. Even Mary, Vera's little assistant, had been excited about staying until the May Festival when she first arrived in the city.
It was clear.
This ritual had been held for many years.
Logically speaking, it was quite stable.
Now that the old duke would be adding more manpower, the chances of anything going wrong were very low.
However...
"If something does go wrong, it will definitely be a big problem!"
The witcher focused his thoughts: "This ritual is meant to help the dead find peace, or to destroy the monsters formed by those who died in war or from disease, and whose lingering resentment transformed them into malevolent spirits..."
"The biggest risk lies with those restless and easily provoked spirits..."
Recalling what Ianna had mentioned yesterday, about the number of people who had died unjustly near Ellander in recent years.
Allen couldn't help but shudder.
To be honest.
When he first heard about the number of malevolent spirits in the wilderness around Ellander, he had been tempted by the idea of purifying them for their essences. But after a little thought, he quickly abandoned this dangerous idea.
When monsters are weak enough, facing them in groups can bring satisfaction. Even regular monsters are like that. But spirits that can teleport behind you at any moment and might still possess the skills they had in life...
For Allen, facing more than five at once would be far more dangerous than confronting a archgriffin.
Even if...
He had specter oil and could kill one spirit with three strikes...
"No way..."
The witcher shook his head sharply, dispelling the terrifying image from his mind.
"No point in thinking about what the duke and Ianna will do. I need to prepare more specter oil in case anything happens in the coming days."
He had a strong feeling. Something was definitely going to go wrong during the May Festival ritual.
Though he didn't know...
Where the danger would come from, especially with both the Melitele Temple and Ellander's nobles on high alert...
------------------------
"Magic is chaos, it is art, and it is science."
"It is a curse, a blessing, and progress."
"Everything depends on the person using magic, how they use it, and what they intend to achieve."
"And magic is everywhere, surrounding us, within our reach..."
As soon as he approached Vera's residence, Mary's voice drifted over, accompanied by the sound of a small creature: "Sister Mary, you said magic can really make people more beautiful, is that true?"
"Of course it's true," Mary replied. "As long as you study well, appearance is the easiest thing to change."
"With anti-aging potions, even staying youthful forever isn't difficult for sorceresses nowadays..."
"Mm-hmm, I'll definitely study magic hard!" The little creature's hoarse, childish voice sounded very determined.
"Hahaha," Mary laughed heartily. "I believe in you, you're very talented..."
"Alright, now let's continue looking at this etching. Pay attention to how the fingers are placed, watch the arrows, and note the runes explaining the precise method..."
"Vort, caelme. Ys, veloe..."
Listening to Mary's lesson, the witcher turned a corner and stopped in his tracks.
Not far ahead.
At the entrance of Vera's residence.
Mary, dressed in a priestess's gray robe, was sitting on a chair, holding a small bundle wrapped in black cloth. She was pointing to a book, teaching it word by word. The creature beneath the black cloth's lumps and bumps was trying to echo Mary's pronunciation with its clumsy, awkward attempts.
It was clear.
The little creature and Mary were getting along very well. And the creature, who had been illiterate before, was learning quickly. It hadn't been long, and it was already starting to study the Elder Speech.
"Other than when she taught me alchemy in Kaer Morhen, Mary always seems to teach others very quickly..."
"The witcher apprentices in the School of the Hunt had also learned several potion recipes and the Ice Spike spell within just a couple of months..."
Allen didn't rush to interrupt.
He waited for over ten minutes, until Mary let the creature practice casting hand gestures on its own, before he stepped forward.
"Tap, tap, tap~"
The deliberate sound of footsteps made both Mary and the creature look toward the courtyard. The creature, hidden under the black cloth, didn't show any expression, only tightening the cloth around its face.
Mary, recognizing Allen, suddenly blushed as if remembering something.
"Allen, why are you here? Are you looking for Lady Vera?" Mary put the creature back down and approached him. "She left this morning to oversee the production of necrophage oil and to arrange negotiations with Duke Mason over potion prices. She won't be back until at least tomorrow..."
Vera's not here...
The witcher paused in his steps.
But that didn't matter; all the basic ingredients for Blizzard potions were in the reliquary.
"I'm here to see you." Allen shook his head.
Mary was taken aback. Before she could respond, the witcher continued: "Do you have a portable crucible and other alchemical equipment with you?"
"I'd like to borrow them..."
Before the witcher finished his sentence, a faint sense of disappointment began to tug at Mary's heart. But she quickly suppressed this vague emotion and smiled, saying: "Wait here, I'll go grab them from inside..."
She hurried into the house. However, just as she reached the door, she remembered something.
Wasn't Allen studying rituals with the high priest at the temple?
Studying rituals shouldn't require potions, unless...
Suddenly.
Mary felt a dryness in her throat. She turned back stiffly, like a rusty hinge, and asked: "You came up with new formulas again?"
As expected.
The Witcher blinked his beautiful cat-like eyes and nodded casually: "Yesterday, I went out to kill a ghoul. Had some insights, and came up with a few formulas..."
Some insights... a few formulas...
Mary: "?"
Her already large eyes widened even more, as she stared at the Witcher in disbelief.
Is this even human speech?
What does killing a ghoul have to do with alchemy formulas?
She had never heard of alchemists creating formulas this way.
But thinking about it...
Last time Allen came up with an alchemy formula, he was just riding his horse, and suddenly thought of it on the go.
So, maybe it does make sense?
Frustration.
A strong sense of frustration replaced her earlier inexplicable emotions, overwhelming Mary's mind.
She hadn't even fully mastered the formulas Allen had taught her last time, and now he had already created new ones...
How is this fair?
Although it was partly because, in recent days, she had been busy learning fire magic from Vera and also teaching Yennefer the basics of magic.
But still... was she really a genius?
Did she truly have talent for alchemy?
It seemed she would never catch up to Allen, no matter what the subject...
Wait!
A flash of inspiration hit Mary.
Last time, Allen also came up with a formula after killing a monster...
Could it be...
"Could it be that the methods taught by my mentor and in the books are wrong?"
"Is hunting monsters the real way to create alchemy formulas?"
"The strongest alchemist must also be the strongest monster hunter!"
The more Mary thought about it, the more she believed this must be the real answer. After all, even Vera had killed countless monsters in the past.
"Mary? You... are you okay?"
Seeing the girl sighing one moment, then looking despondent, and then suddenly excited, her expressions changing rapidly, the Witcher felt an inexplicable sense of fear.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. I'll go get you the cauldron..."
Mary, realizing Allen was watching her, blushed and hurriedly ran into the house.
"Tap-tap-tap~"
The sound of her light footsteps faded away.
At this moment.
Only Allen and Yennefer were left in the courtyard.
To be honest.
Although technically speaking, Allen was the one who took in the little monster.
In reality.
Due to their talents and genders, Mary had the closest relationship with her, while Allen rarely interacted with Yennefer.
After all.
Although Yennefer was famous in her past life, and he liked this character a lot. Once the novelty of meeting a "celebrity" and collecting an "SSR" wore off. To Allen, Yennefer was more of a pitiful child, abandoned and abused by her father.
A child who didn't talk much but was heartbreakingly sensible. So now that it was just the two of them, Allen didn't quite know what to say.
After a few seconds of silence.
The Witcher looked at the small figure, wrapped tightly in black cloth and standing as still as a black statue, and asked as gently as possible: "How's life in the temple?"
"It's fine..."
"Is magic hard to learn?"
"It's okay..."
"If you encounter any problems, don't be afraid to ask Lady Vera. She may seem cold, but she's actually very kind..."
"Okay..."
Well, that ended the conversation.
Feeling slightly awkward, the Witcher scratched his head.
Noticing that the little monster, wrapped in black cloth, didn't seem to want to talk to him, he coughed lightly and sensibly turned his gaze towards Vera's residence, not speaking further.
Fortunately.
At that moment, Mary came "tap-tap-tap" back, carrying a large bag from the house, rescuing him from the situation.
"Al... Allen," Mary gasped for breath, "I've brought the cauldron, alchemy pen, and all the other things you might need. I've packed them all in the bag."
"Thank you, Mary." The Witcher thanked her softly, taking the large leather bag.
"Actually, you could make the potions here," Mary smiled as she heard Allen's thanks. "My mentor set up an alchemy lab here, just like the one at Kaer Morhen."
"But the variety of magic materials is limited..."
"What materials do you have?" Allen asked curiously.
If the materials were sufficient, there was no need for him to go back. After all, this was the temple of the goddess.
"You've used materials for sword oils, potions, and that alchemical bomb called Northern Wind..." Mary counted on her fingers. "We have everything needed for those formulas, but only those."
The overlap isn't great, so I still need to go back to brew... Allen shook his head.
Wait...
"Do you have bear fat and Arenaria?" he asked.
"We have plenty," Mary recalled, then asked curiously, "Are you planning to make Specter Oil?"
No...
You're planning to make Specter Oil...
Allen thought to himself. Specter Oil was simple. He had already taught Mary how to make it on the way here.
As for Allen...
Moon Dust was also an effective weapon against wraiths. After finishing the Blizzard potion, he planned to focus on making several Moon Dust bombs, just in case. After organizing his thoughts, the Witcher told Mary about his "dream" last night, the reaction of the Archpriestess this morning, and his own guesses.
"Is there no way to lift the curse from that evil god?"
After hearing Allen's account, Mary asked worriedly.
"Not yet," Allen smiled warmly to reassure her, "But I should be able to solve it during the May Festival..."
"Oh~" Mary sighed softly, a bit disappointed. "I was looking forward to attending the May Festival in Ellander, but now there's a complication..."
"However..."
Mary looked into Allen's eyes seriously and said: "I can't help much with the rest, but I'll do my best to make the Specter Oil in the coming days..."
"When my mentor returns, I'll also tell her about this. Maybe she'll have another solution..."
Allen nodded. Just as he was about to leave, he glanced at the little monster. He thought for a moment, then said: "By the way, ask Lady Vera if she can send Yennefer and Clay back to Kaer Morhen..."
"Even though this is the temple of the goddess, right now..."
The Witcher hesitated for a moment.
"Kaer Morhen is still a bit safer."
"You should also..."
"I'm staying here," Mary interrupted, "I can protect myself, and don't you still need someone to make the Specter Oil?"
"But..." she glanced at the little monster, "I'll talk to my mentor about it."
Hearing this, Allen could only nod. He glanced at the little monster one last time, then lifted the large bag and left.
Once the Witcher's figure disappeared from sight.
Mary lowered her head to look at Yennefer, asking: "Are you afraid of Allen?"
The black-clothed figure stirred slightly.
Mary knew she was shaking her head, so she asked curiously: "Then why didn't you say goodbye to him?"
"I noticed you didn't speak much when he was here..."
The black-clothed figure shrank a bit, and after a few seconds of silence, replied: "I'm not afraid of him..."
"I just... I just don't want to talk to him in this form anymore..."
....
📢20 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
For advance chapters: p@treon.com/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
263. Is the Witcher Not Human?
264. The Witcher's Epic Advancement.
265. Blood and Fire.
266. The Consequences of Spreading Rumors About the Wild Hunt.
267. Vesemir's Little Note.