Whether the Pale Widow's mutation formula was worth that many experience pearls or not, at least for now, Allen wasn't going to learn it.
After all...
He hadn't even unlocked the Gene Mutation skill. No matter how valuable the learning might be, he would have to wait until he returned to Kaer Morhen. Casually, he used the two portions of Pale Widow's heart essence liquid obtained from the treasure chest. A pleasant warmth spread throughout his body.
[Health: 100%, Stamina: 470/470, Mana: 530/530]
[Attributes: Strength 42, Agility 37, Constitution 47 (+4), Perception 35, Mystery 53]
He was getting closer and closer to Vesemir's attribute panel.
Allen sighed inwardly. Seeing the numbers increase gave him a sense of security and satisfaction.
"Allen, finished reading the love letter?"
"The stew's almost ready. Come eat."
Vesemir joked as he walked over. Just as he was about to lift both unconscious sorcerers, Ban Ard's Tomas Moreau and Makarov, and carry them to the camp, he froze.
In the sunset's afterglow, Tomas Moreau and Makarov lay limp, their limbs tied up and arched backward. Not only were their arms and legs bound with ropes, but their hands and feet were also tied together, like wild boars. The posture was incredibly awkward and humiliating.
"To prevent them from waking up and secretly casting a spell to escape, I tied them up," Allen explained.
"Oh... oh..."
Vesemir found it somewhat inappropriate.
After all, Tomas Moreau and Makarov were both notable sorcerers. Treating them like livestock might be a bit excessive. However, recalling how they showed no restraint in their earlier attack, he simply asked, "Have you thought about how to deal with these two?"
Allen gently lifted the rope tied around Tomas Moreau, walking towards the camp while saying, "Whether we kill them or release them, it doesn't feel right. And taking them along would be troublesome since we'd have to keep a close watch."
"So, I thought it might be best to send them to Kaer Morhen. What do you think?"
"With the Grandmaster and Ms.Vera keeping an eye on them, there shouldn't be any problem."
Send them to Kaer Morhen?
Vesemir scratched his head, lifting Makarov with his right hand, feeling puzzled.
"How will you send them back? Aren't you heading to Aedirn to lift the curse?"
"And after all the trouble of escaping from Kaedwen, wouldn't going back now be even more dangerous?"
"Uh... not us going back," Allen realized he hadn't explained clearly and clarified, "I just sent a message to Mary, asking Ms. Vera to come and teleport them back to Kaer Morhen."
Vesemir stopped in his tracks instinctively, eyes widening at Allen.
You summoned Ms. Vera just to deal with these two sorcerers?
Do you even know what you're saying?
Before, when it was about saving Pont and delivering medicine, that made sense—lives were at stake. But to summon Ms. Vera for something like this...
Allen, are you tired of living?
That's Ms. Vera!
Do you even know how she got her title, the Scarlet Fox?
Seeing Vesemir stop, Allen turned back and asked, "What's wrong, Master Vesemir? Do you think there's a problem with this approach?"
A problem? More like everything about it is a problem.
"Al..." Vesemir opened his mouth, ready to dissuade Allen from this dangerous idea.
But then he remembered how back at Toussaint, when Allen disappeared for only a day, Ms. Vera rushed over in a panic. And during their time in Kaer Morhen, she used the priceless "Verdant Sigh" as drinking water...
During the Trial of the Grasses, Ms. Vera almost clashed with Sol and the other Witcher Grandmasters over Allen...
------------------
Suddenly, he felt like...
It would be unnecessary and inappropriate for him to say anything that might imply Allen and Ms. Vera weren't close.
However.
Even though Ms. Vera seemed to treat Allen like her own child—showing care, worry, protection, and even spoiling him—that bond, in Vesemir's experience, could be fleeting. Vesemir had traveled the world for decades and seen it all.
Relationships built on passion without the foundation of blood ties can easily fade over time, especially as indulgence and pampering drain them away bit by bit.
Just like a king's favorite concubine—she might be cherished when first taken into the palace, but as the passion wanes, the coldness that follows is even more brutal. And Allen's relationship with Ms. Vera was currently his most valuable asset, without a doubt.
For two sorcerers...
It wasn't worth it!
Caught in his own internal debate, the Witcher Grandmaster's expression shifted multiple times.
"Master Vesemir?"
Allen cautiously observed Vesemir, unsure of what he had said wrong. Carefully choosing his words, Vesemir patted Allen's shoulder with his free hand.
"I think sending Tomas Moreau and Makarov back to Kaer Morhen is a good idea, but..."
Vesemir paused.
"But Ms. Vera is quite busy. In the future, if we can avoid troubling her, it's best not to."
Ms. Vera is busy?
Allen was momentarily confused.
In his impression, the sorceress always seemed very laid-back, spending her days drinking tea and reading books. Even when teaching apprentices, she usually left Mary to figure things out on her own.
If not for her youthful appearance, she was practically like a retired old grandpa or grandma from his previous life. Just as he was puzzling over why Vesemir would say such things, he noticed the complicated and serious expression on the Witcher Grandmaster's face.
He immediately understood.
"Vesemir is worried I'll exhaust my goodwill with Ms. Vera..."
Allen understood. Summoning the sorceress from afar just for this situation was indeed a bit much. However, the secondary mutation techniques that Tomas Moreau possessed were too important, making it worth using this favor.
So.
He tilted his head toward Vesemir.
"Don't worry, Master Vesemir."
"I know what I'm doing. These two sorcerers are too important for us!"
Seeing the expression on Allen's face, Vesemir knew he had truly taken the advice to heart. Without asking further what made the sorcerers so important, he smiled and nodded, continuing to carry Makarov toward the newly built camp.
Allen followed behind Vesemir, absentmindedly stroking his chin.
"But indeed, I should find some way to make up for all that Ms. Vera has done for me…"
"Yet, for someone as important as her, what can I even do?"
--------------
Gurgle~ Gurgle~
Bubbles rose from the pot.
Tomatoes and some wild vegetables collected nearby were simmering.
Vesemir sat by the campfire, slicing some dried meat sent by the innkeeper at Toussaint into the pot with his dagger. Soon, the aroma filled the air, and steam rose from the bubbling broth.
When traveling, the taste of food is secondary. The most important thing is that bit of warmth. A bowl of hot soup can ward off the cold for an entire night.
"Have you made up your minds?"
Vesemir placed the wooden bowl on a large stone and looked at the two sorcerer apprentices across from him. Both Bogdan and Radek looked a little disheartened. After learning from Makarov that the academy director, Hen Gedymdeith, had issued a "dead or alive" order for their capture, their spirits had plummeted.
They had thought that Tomas Moreau and Makarov were after the Witchers, but it turned out the real targets were themselves. Vesemir and Allen were the ones dragged into this because of Tomas Moreau's personal vendetta.
Although neither of them had deep ties to the academy, they hadn't expected to become enemies, making it difficult for them to accept the situation.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring so much trouble to you..."
"It's not your fault." Vesemir waved his hand, cutting them off. "But you both should know Ban Ard's stance by now. Do you still plan on going to Vengerberg?"
Radek and Bogdan exchanged looks. Vengerberg was the royal city of Aedirn. The court sorcerer of the king of Aedirn was also a male sorcerer from Ban Ard.
Wouldn't going there be walking right into a trap?
Although Makarov had said they were investigating the cause of the Conjunction of the Spheres, and as long as they weren't involved, they wouldn't be implicated, the two sorcerers' disregard for their lives and immediate attack made their words hard to trust.
Moreover.
After barely escaping the whirlpool surrounding the king's death, they were in no hurry to return to Ban Ard.
Speaking of which...
Radek and Bogdan cautiously glanced at the two well-known sorcerers, bound awkwardly on the ground. No matter what the two Witchers planned to do with Tomas Moreau and Makarov...
Could they really just let them leave?
"Pro… Probably not," Radek asked cautiously, forcing himself to speak. "Do you have any better suggestions?"
Seeing the timid expressions of the two apprentices, Allen sat nearby, holding a wooden bowl and slowly sipping hot soup. Since they hadn't even killed Tomas Moreau and Makarov, they certainly wouldn't silence these two kids, barely fifteen or sixteen years old. But letting them go freely posed a risk of exposing the Wolves' School.
So...
"Do you two have any interest in Kaer Morhen?"
As soon as Vesemir finished speaking, Radek didn't react much, but Bogdan's eyes lit up instantly.
"Interested!"
He stood up right away.
Vesemir, who had planned to explain the benefits of being a Witcher sorcerer, was cut off and forgot what he was going to say next. At this point, Vesemir and Allen exchanged glances. A thought flashed through Allen's mind. When they first met Bogdan, he had asked if he could become a Witcher.
"Perhaps we could give him a chance?" Allen thought.
Radek, also surprised by Bogdan's enthusiasm, sighed and, as if realizing something, looked at him helplessly.
"I'm interested too."
-----------------
Late night.
Kaer Morhen.
Creak~
The groan of wood echoed in the dark.
A tiny figure in silk pajamas tossed and turned in bed, disturbed by the sound. Every now and then, she glanced at the starry sky outside the window.
"Do you need me to cast a sleep spell on you?"
A cold voice rang out. The wooden bed instantly fell silent.
"Sorry, Lady Vera..."
"Am I bothering you?"
The small, trembling voice responded. Even though the sleep spell would put her to sleep instantly, the owner of the voice instinctively reached out and touched her forehead. Now that she thought about it...
Ever since Allen left, Lady Vera hadn't cast a sleep spell on her in a long time. The girl with the delicate voice began to let her mind wander.
Snap!
With a snap of the fingers, the room's candles all lit up. Staying up late is the enemy of women.
But thanks to Ortolan's great invention—Mandrake decoction, which prevents aging—and the youth gifted by the Creator, neither of the two women in the room seemed to care about the wrinkles and dark circles that a disrupted sleep schedule could cause.
In the flickering light, Vera stood by the window, her eyes crescent-shaped in amusement as she watched Mary toss and turn under the covers.
"I told you already, if you can't sleep, you don't have to. Just wait a little longer, Allen's message bird will arrive."
"I'm not waiting for a message bird!!!"
Mary seemed startled, leaping out of bed.
Creak~
The wooden bed screeched loudly.
Ignoring the bed's protest, the girl, realizing her tone had been a bit disrespectful, quickly lowered her voice in defense.
"I'm not waiting for Allen's letter, I just… um… I just can't sleep."
"Sure, sure~"
Vera smiled, narrowing her eyes as she watched the blush creep across the girl's face.
"You're just having trouble sleeping."
"So..."
"Do you need the sleep spell?"
"No, thank you, Lady Vera."
Mary's face flushed even more, and after thinking for a long time, she couldn't come up with any other excuse. She had no choice but to get out of bed. Her pearl-white silk pajamas slid down her smooth skin, covering her slender, pale legs and rosy ankles.
Vera, smiling, watched as Mary stiffly paced under her gaze. Just as she was about to tease her again, something caught her eye.
In the starry sky over the majestic snow-capped mountains, a shooting star suddenly streaked by, catching her attention. The fleeting white light moved swiftly toward the girl's room.
At that moment, the sorceress straightened her posture just a little.
Dressed in white silk pajamas, Mary excitedly hopped to the window like a little rabbit in a few quick steps. She reached out her delicate hand towards the glittering night sky.
In the next moment.
A crystal bird fluttered down and landed in her palm. Its transparent beak gently nuzzled Mary's thumb.
Mary, eager, lifted the bird and brought it to her forehead, but then remembered Vera was still standing nearby. Feeling a little awkward, she glanced sideways at the sorceress.
Seeing Vera nod slightly, she closed her eyes and pressed the bird's beak tightly against her forehead. The room fell silent for a moment.
Vera watched the subtle smile on Mary's face and guessed what Allen had said to her apprentice through the message bird.
Gradually.
A smile tugged at the corners of the sorceress's lips as well.
Until...
"Those awful sorcerers, why can't they just leave us alone!!!"
Mary's smile disappeared, replaced by an angry scowl.
"What happened?"
Vera frowned slightly. Mary quickly handed the message bird to her. The sorceress took it and read the message with practiced ease. As time passed, Vera's expression grew colder and colder.
"Hmph!"
The sorceress snorted coldly and handed the message bird back to Mary.
Then.
Snap!
With a snap of her fingers, an orange portal appeared in the room. Just as Vera was about to step through the portal, she heard Mary's voice from behind her.
"Lady… Lady Vera..."
"Can I go with you?"
....…
📢20 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
For advance chapters: p@treon.com/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
218. Mary Came to Learn.
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?