Evening.
East Tower Alchemy Room.
A quill was dancing in the air.Its black tail feathers at first glance looked like they came from a crow's wingtip. But ordinary crow feathers wouldn't be this long, nor would each feather shaft be so straight and uniform.
Upon closer inspection, the tips of these feather shafts seemed to twinkle with starlight. Luxurious yet mysterious. The stage for this quill was an old book, its pages dry and yellowed. This book also floated in the air, moving in harmony with the quill, dancing. Such a lavish "dance" was pleasing to the eye just to watch. Unfortunately, the two people in the room were not paying attention to this splendid performance.
"Vera, Mary often 'sleeps' like this... Will she be okay?"
The chief of the Wolf School glanced at the "sleeping" girl on the table and couldn't help but ask.
"She'll be fine," the sorceress's mood didn't seem high. She glanced at Mary and explained, "This is good for her. It increases her resistance to sleep and mental spells."
"Is this how all you sorceresses increase your power?" Sol couldn't help but ask.
He had known Vera since they were children.
At eight years old, Vera was taken away by a sorcerer. He, on the other hand, set off on his path to glory at ten years old, against all advice, driven by a heart full of passion. When they met again, they were both in their thirties or forties, having made a name for themselves. Despite knowing each other for centuries, Sol realized for the first time that although they were close, he seemed to have never understood Vera's apprentice life.
"We're not that close."
"Besides, there's nothing much to say about my apprentice life."
Sol didn't mind Vera reading his mind. He had lived his life openly, without doing anything he couldn't speak about. Moreover, the one reading his mind was his beloved. After being apart for ten years, he wanted to present all the accumulated thoughts and love to her completely. He only feared she wouldn't read enough, deeply enough.
"Clap"
The quill's dance ended, and the old book closed. The sorceress took the slowly descending experimental record and sighed. She read his thoughts, but unfortunately...
"Sol, we can't go back to the past."
"Since we made the wrong choice back then, my life seems to have been drowning in a whirlpool of guilt and remorse."
The Witcher instinctively took two steps closer, trying to argue: "Vera, you know it wasn't our fault, and Allen is living well now..."
"He's not living well..." The sorceress interrupted the Witcher, repeating, "Sol, he's not living well..."
"Even without reading minds, I can feel his fear."
"Sol, he's afraid..."
"What hurts me the most is that this is not the end of Allen's suffering. His life is destined to be surrounded by blood and fire."
Vera's pupils trembled from the vision of Allen's future. The Witcher wanted to approach her, hold her, warm her.But the sorceress, realizing his intention, took a step back, avoiding him.
Seeing the Witcher's move, her expression turned cold.
"The Witcher's Eye experiment records."
The yellowed notebook flew towards the Witcher.
The sorceress crossed her arms and said coldly: "I'm leaving now. You can go."
The Witcher was about to say something.
"Clap"
A snap of fingers. The door to the alchemy room opened. Sol gripped the forged experiment records, looked sadly at the expressionless sorceress, and then walked out of the alchemy room.
"Wait"
The sorceress's voice came from behind. The Witcher instantly felt hopeful, thinking their relationship had taken a turn for the better. But the sorceress's expression remained unchanged: "Take good care of Allen, or you know the consequences."
"Don't worry, he's my child too." The Witcher nodded seriously, tidied his emotions, and left the alchemy room.
...
Returning from hunting with Vesemir, Allen headed to the alchemy room for dinner. On the way to the south tower, he thought he might see the sorceress again. Knocking on the door of the alchemy room, he was disappointed to find that the sorceress had just opened a portal and left a few minutes before he arrived.
"Witcher apprentice, what's your relationship with Lady Vera?"
"How did you win her favor?"
Mary, holding a water bottle, had her curiosity written all over the pink bump on her forehead. She had been studying magic with Lady Vera for five or six years.
Beautiful, cold, decisive...
Many adjectives could describe Lady Vera, but not gentle and selfless. Before coming to Kaer Morhen, Mary had never seen Lady Vera teach. Even Mary herself, the most outstanding and promising sorceress apprentice chosen by Lady Vera from Aretuza, had never had a class with Vera.
After taking her as an apprentice, Lady Vera only gave Mary a reading list for self-study. Of course, this knowledge was valuable, and many books were only available from Lady Vera. Mary had been content with this.
Until she met Allen. If Lady Vera could teach her as she did Allen, Mary would be overjoyed even in her dreams. But that cold, beautiful, and knowledgeable Lady Vera had given Allen, the Witcher apprentice, ten full days of alchemy lessons.
Unbelievable, incomprehensible.
"Investor and investee?", Allen responded uncertainly.
He naturally wouldn't tell Mary about being the Child of Destiny.
As for how to win her favor?
After thinking for a moment, Allen realized he had never done anything to please her. The sorceress's kindness was always spontaneous.
"Seems you don't know either." Mary rubbed her forehead unconsciously and sighed.
So, how can one win Lady Vera's favor?
At least let Lady Vera give a heads-up before casting a sleep spell, so she could prepare!
After a few days, Mary felt her skull was almost deformed from the impacts. Maybe it was because of the Wolf School's chief? Mary thought.
Then she handed the water bottle to the Witcher apprentice. Taking the water bottle, Allen thanked the distracted Mary and left the alchemy room.
...
Returning to the apprentice dormitory, Allen, as usual, gave pointers on the use of signs to the apprentices. But with something on his mind, Allen was somewhat distracted. To improve hunting efficiency, he had to reduce the time spent searching for drowners. Allen had actually long found a way.
[Name: Drowner Whistle]
[Type: Bait Flute]
[Function: Blowing the drowner whistle emits a sound that attracts drowners]
[Note: Witcher + Drowner Whistle = ?]
Witcher plus drowner whistle naturally equaled a massacre. But this was something obtained from a treasure chest and had to be kept from Vesemir...
"Must keep it from Vesemir... Keep it from Vese..."
A faint glimmer of insight flashed, and Allen seemed to grasp something, muttering thoughtfully.
No!
Why must he keep it from Vesemir?
...….
📢10 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
For advance chapters: p@treon.com/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
32. The Drowner Whistle.
33. Killer Lake.
34. The Conjunction of the Spheres.
35. The Drowner King.
36. Allen, Dead?