Chapter 139: Caravan of the Cat School

After hearing Vesemir's words, the long table with five people fell silent for a moment.

Before today, the few people who had just become official demon hunters did not take this fighting competition seriously.

For Hughes, Bonte and Fred, their strength has improved by leaps and bounds in the past two months, and they don't believe that they will lose to the apprentices of the Cat School who have also just become witchers.

As for Aylin...

How could Aelin, who had become a demon hunter master and was almost omnipotent, lose?

They felt that the main danger of this journey was still the king and the wizard that Arryn had mentioned before.

But Vesemir's words revealed another possibility.

In the Apprentice Fighting Competition, even Ailin might lose or even die.

This was a little difficult for them to accept for a while.

"Master Vesemir, the dishes you requested are here."

The fat waitress in the tavern came over with a tray and broke the silence.

After Vesemir looked up and thanked him, he felt a little relieved when he saw the solemn expressions on the faces of several apprentices.

He knew that he had achieved his goal.

Of course, not a single word of what he just said was false, but Vesemir had obviously exaggerated some of the crises.

No matter how unscrupulous and erratic the scum of the Cat School were, they dared not break the rules set by the king.

after all.

Not only does most of the work of the Cat School come from the king and nobles, but the various troubles caused by the emotionally unstable members of the school also require the king as a powerful backer to resolve.

Therefore, compared with the Wolf School, they care more about the gift money from the king, and also care more about the status of the school in the king's mind.

Ordinary demon hunters of the Cat School might be reckless due to their unstable emotions, but the leader of the school certainly would not.

They are unlikely to disobey and deceive the king for a sum of money, thereby interfering with the school's other business in Kaedwen.

But there was no way, Ailin's performance before and after the mountain trial was too dazzling.

Vesemir could see that Hughes, Bonte, and Fred were so confident in Ailin that they even looked down on him.

This mentality is very dangerous, especially when facing the cunning and insidious cat-faction witcher.

The dinner prepared in the tavern was naturally not as sumptuous as the banquet at Kaer Morhen.

However, the hot vegetable soup, served with fried eggs, butter bread and beer, still whetted the appetites of everyone who had walked on the mountain road all day.

Fred wiped the dishes with bread, and suddenly remembered that there were only two categories of fighting competitions, so he asked:

"By the way, Master Vesemir, there is one more item. What does melee combat mean?"

Vesemir swallowed the last bite of bread and said slowly:
"There may not be a melee in every match, and no two are the same..."

"Hmm... I remember the last time, it was the same number of knights as the one we were fighting... The time before that, we worked together with the Cat School to hunt down water ghosts..."

Weisermil paused, then continued:
"This event is generally a recreational event and will not be counted in the final score."

Seeing that everyone still looked a little worried, he comforted them again:
"Although the king is somewhat dissatisfied with the Wolf School, he is still an important figure after all, and he will not specifically target you."

"So you just need to pay attention to the demon hunters of the cat school."

……

Each school of witchers has its own school.

The Wolf School has Kaer Morhen in Kaedwen, the Griffins have Kaer Siren in Bovis, and the Vipers built Gosswid in Nilfgaard...

All schools of demon hunters have their own castles, including the Bear School and the Maned Lion School far away in the Koraz Desert.

Except for the cat school.

They lead a nomadic life, wandering around in a caravan called Dyn Marv. As for the mutation sites of apprentices, they are placed in hiding places in various places, and many camps are also gathered to provide training places for apprentices.

A clearing somewhere in Kaedwen is such a place.

Many figures carrying swords were gathered in a small circle.

A strangely shaped caravan was parked next to the circle.

“Ping! Ping!”

The sound of steel rubbing against each other continued.

Two kids who looked only thirteen or fourteen years old were fighting with steel swords that were totally incompatible with their bodies.

Looking closely, both steel swords were flashing with a cold light, and they had both been sharpened.

"That's it, little bastards..."

"Damn it! How many times have I told you! Speed! Speed! Speed!"

"Gulu... Stare into the opponent's eyes and thrust your sword as quickly and accurately as possible, no matter who the opponent is... Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!"

Crazy words, not sure whether they were curses or instructions, came from the shadows of the caravan, along with the strong smell of greasy residue from cheap ale.

Perhaps he was getting excited because he suddenly jumped off the caravan.

Although the man's body looked a little unstable due to the low-quality alcohol, he landed silently and jumped nimbly between the two children in just three or two steps like a wild cat.

"Come on! You little bastards! Kill me with your swords!"

Faced with this crazy behavior, the two children were not afraid. After looking at each other, they showed hatred and madness in their eyes and slashed at the man in the middle without hesitation.

The crowd watching showed no surprise and watched with interest.

There were even a few people who unconsciously raised their right hands, as if they wanted to draw the steel swords from their backs and join in this unfair fight.

A hooded man leaned against the caravan and asked with his head tilted:
"Treis, are you sure you want to accept the bounty offered by the Big Eater and hunt those wolf cubs?"

The bald man at the side crossed his arms and said casually without looking back:
"why not?"

"Killing a group of bandits only earns 50 Auren, and a noble needs to issue a reward."

"And a wolf cub is worth 500 orens."

"Unless you rob a caravan, this price would keep me busy for half a year. Why would you refuse?"

The hooded man showed a rare calmness and restraint of a Cat School demon hunter:
"Treys, don't tell me you don't understand what the Big Eater wants to do?"

"He wants to start a civil war among the witchers!"

The bald man tilted his head and glanced at the amber cat eyes flashing under the hood.

The owner of the beautiful eyes is one of the few demon hunters in the school who can maintain normal sanity.

He did not answer directly, but after a moment of silence, he suddenly asked inexplicably:

"Guksat, have you ever seen a wild cat?"

wildcat?

The hooded man was stunned. He didn't know what the school leader wanted to say, so he could only say, "Of course I have seen him. Any questions?"

The bald leader of the Cat School, Treis, looked at the bloody battle in the training ground and said:
“There is not enough food in this world anymore.”

"If a wild cat wants to avoid starvation, it must not only beg for food from wild dogs, curses and sticks..."

He turned his head and took a deep look at the hooded Guksat, and said meaningfully:

"When necessary, the enemy can even be our own kind."

(End of this chapter)