Chapter 148 Castle Ruins
"Master Vesemir, those three knights have been following us for a long time."

Arryn rode Turnip towards Vesemir.

Not long after coming out of the inn, the two witchers noticed the three king's guards.

Rather than saying they were following Ailin and the others, it would be more accurate to say they were openly provoking them.

There was no cover at all. As Arryn and Vesemir sped up, they also sped up on their horses.

It fell behind them, keeping a distance of about twenty meters.

"Ok, I know."

It must be Bob and Mary's unusual behavior that aroused suspicion... Vesemir's face was solemn.

There is nothing to be afraid of the three human knights. The problem is that if you are not careful, you may attract the attention of the king and the wizard.

However, the more you are suspected, the more you cannot feel guilty at this time.

"The destination remains the same. If you ask, just say you have accepted a commission to explore the castle's terrain and get rid of the evil spirits in it."

Vesemir said softly, and then pulled the reins to stop the horse.

Ailin nodded slightly.

The three knights behind him slowly caught up.

“Why are you following us?” Vesemir asked.

The middle-aged knight did not answer, but raised his head and asked, "Where are you going?"

"Viscount Hudson's castle. Someone has commissioned us to get rid of the evil spirits in the castle." Vesemir said expressionlessly.

"Viscount Hudson?" The middle-aged knight frowned when he heard this.

He was a nobleman from the north of the kingdom. He received an order from the king half a month ago to come to Ban Ade to capture wandering elves.

But even so, out of caution, he investigated the nearby nobles, but he had never heard of any viscount named Hudson nearby.

"It's the castle on the hill. Its owner before it was abandoned was Viscount Hudson."

The knight next to him came up and whispered, then after a pause, he explained:

"He is the Viscount of our Val family. Ten years ago, his entire family was burned to death in a fire."

Abandoned for ten years? The middle-aged knight looked at him in surprise.

Due to years of war, many castles in Kaedwen were abandoned.

But usually within one or two years, they would find an heir in their respective family branches...

The middle-aged knight glanced at the knight from the Val family again.

What a coincidence! While on a mission nearby, a member of the Val family happened to be transferred from the King's Guard to be by my side.

The nobleman's intuition made him realize that there was a trap here, and he instinctively wanted to retreat.

but……

"That haunted castle? Captain, we can just go there together! That's the place where elves are most likely to hide nearby." Another knight came over and suggested.

The middle-aged knight's retreat was blocked.

There was no way the middle-aged knight could escape from a mission involving the king.

He sighed in his heart and said with a straight face: "Demon Hunter, don't play tricks. We will follow you all the way to investigate the Viscount's castle."

"The situation in the castle is unknown. I am also with an apprentice, so I am afraid I cannot guarantee your safety." Vesemir advised helplessly.

After the middle-aged knight made up his mind, how could he be shrugged off by such an excuse?

But he doesn't need to speak.

Vesemir's advice sounded more like contempt to the young and energetic knight:
"Don't worry! The King's Guards are the best knights in Kaedwen, and Captain Serio is the swordsmanship champion from the year before last. They will definitely protect your apprentice, witcher!"

As he spoke, the young knight patted the sword at his waist.

Vesemir looked at Arryn and could only agree reluctantly.

But this didn't have much of an impact. They were just going to check out the situation in the afternoon, and the commission they received from Bob and Mary was indeed to eliminate the evil spirits.

They are also telling the truth.

"Bowen, go find the mayor and record our itinerary. We will wait for you at the castle gate." The middle-aged knight ordered with his head tilted expressionlessly.

The Val family knight named Bowen paused for a moment, glanced at the middle-aged knight, then reluctantly tightened the reins and rode towards the orchard.

Before leaving, he glared at Vesemir angrily, as if the order to let him leave was given by the witcher master.

"Let's go, witcher."

The middle-aged knight withdrew his gaze and gave the order in a cold tone.

"Don't give me orders! I'm not your soldier, knight!"

Vesemir complained, then squeezed his legs together and sped towards the Viscount's castle.

……

Dry ditches, weed-covered cobblestone roads, and the dark, collapsed rock walls of the castle.

"Ga~ga~"

On the dry branches, the dark crow's red eyes stared at the people who broke into the secluded place.

This is a castle, but also a ruin.

Vesemir's mood had been low since he passed through the crooked city gate.

What makes a demon hunter different from ordinary people is not just strength and magic.

Their brains have also been transformed by the dream trial.

The older and more powerful the demon hunter, the better his memory.

"Have you been here before?"

The middle-aged knight's words interrupted Ailin's reverie.

Vesemir was stunned when he heard the knight's words, but he did not try to hide it: "Yes, I was here fifteen years ago."

"Viscount Hackson is my friend, a very good friend."

"Fifteen years?" The three knights were a little surprised.

"They are indeed a group of monsters..." the young knight named Bowen whispered.

But at such a volume, even the two humans next to them could hear it, and it was obvious that there was no intention to be shy.

But Vesemir did not respond, and no one knew what he was thinking.

Ailin was feeling a little heavy.

Although dissatisfaction with witchers has not yet spread completely among the common people, the new generation of Kaedweni knights seems to have completely accepted these slanders.

Is this sign due to the king's deliberate propaganda or the madness of the cat school?
Ailin thought about it and denied the luck deep in his heart.

I can't numb myself anymore. The King's Guards can be said to be the closest aristocratic group to the King, and to some extent they are even the weather vane of the royal family's attitude.

These knights are so hostile to witchers, there must be instructions from the king, or at least a hint of it.

Otherwise, as the Wolf School is an institution funded by the king, how could these knights dare to slander the witcher in front of them when the king's attitude was uncertain.

Aren't you afraid that Arryn and the others will mention it to the king during the Apprentice Competition?

"Da~da~da~"

With the heavy footsteps, Ailin's mood became heavier.

The hope of winning over the king grows increasingly slim, and the crisis of Kaer Morhen's destruction draws closer.

In a depressed mood, it seems that even the surrounding environment has become gloomy.

wrong!

How can it suddenly become cold when the sun is shining on me?
He looked at the clear shadow cast on the ground, his heart beating violently due to the strong sense of crisis.

"Om~"

The wolf emblem suddenly began to buzz.

(End of this chapter)