Chapter 300: Kaer Morhen is heavily guarded

"Wow~"

Ailin, who was one step behind, was just wondering why there was a fierce waterfall-like sound of water near the Ancient Sea Fortress when he heard the Demon Hunter Master's exclamation.

He hurried forward a few steps and led the horse past Vesemir.

next second.

Ailin also stopped in a daze, expressing the same doubts as Vesemir.

"Is this really Kaer Morhen?"

The gray and solid gate tower still retained some of its original shape, but the cold light faintly visible from the gaps in the ravines was enough to make one's hair stand on end.

The suspension bridge had obviously been modified. The width remained narrow, just enough for two horses to walk side by side, but its length was at least three times longer than what I had imagined.

Below it is a moat that comes from an unknown source.

You have to know that this was originally supposed to be a dry deep pit, and there were even a lot of weeds growing in it.

Now the water is rushing like a waterfall.

Ailin could imagine how miserable the death would be for the attacking enemy troops if they fell into such a moat.

It was only then that Ailin noticed that the city walls along the road had obviously been repaired, and those that had been damaged over the years had been patched up.

Vines such as creepers that are easy to climb are also gone.

more importantly……

Although the witcher guards standing in key positions looked young and immature, their spirit and discipline were obviously different from the witcher guards who were just idling around when Ailin first crossed over.

The entire fortress is threatening the enemy hiding in an unknown place with its fangs and claws, revealing its hideous face.

It's chilling.

"Who are you!" a slightly childish voice shouted.

As soon as the group turned the corner of the long slope and was at least three or four hundred meters away from the city gate, they were ordered to stop by the guards on the gate tower.

Vesemir and Arryn looked at each other. They were used to the lazy fortress guards, so they were still a little uncomfortable with it.

But before they could report their identities, another little head popped out from the arrow nest on the city wall.

"It's Master Vesemir! And Captain Arryn!" the young guard shouted in surprise.

Then a commotion broke out in a place the witcher couldn't see, and childish voices spoke at once.

"Captain Ailin? The youngest demon hunter master who created the water ghost heart extract..."

"I heard he killed the Cyclops, the Ice King..."

"He also killed Ban Ade's demon spirit and snake giant..."

"You all know less than I do. He was the one who killed those wizards and the king of Ban Ade College. The Kaedwen royal family dared not say a word, and they even gave him the title of Blue Death?"

……

Ailin knew that these young-looking people should be the new batch of demon hunter apprentices who passed the Green Grass Trial.

At first, my vanity was greatly satisfied by listening to these achievements that were long in the past, but who would have thought that the more I listened, the more I felt something was wrong.

I killed the first four...

The latter two have nothing to do with me, at least on the surface...

And the nickname Blue Death was not bestowed by the Kaedweni royal family...

Who is spreading this rumor?

The witcher glanced at a girl whose face was red with embarrassment.

"It's not me... I didn't... Don't talk nonsense..."

Mary didn't even have the little awkwardness she had after leaving Ireland.

His hands waved in front of his chest, leaving an afterimage.

"Did I ask you?" the witcher thought.

The culprit was found.

But originally she was the only suspect.

Information transmission is not that fast in this era. What happened in Ban Ader more than a month ago could not have been transmitted to Kaer Morhen in the deep mountains and forests so quickly.

The Chief, Vera, and Mary, only these three have returned to Kaer Morhen.

Among them, only Mary has the status of Chief Sorceress of the Corps.

It's easy to tell who leaked the news.

"Move aside and let me see... Let me see what Captain Ailin looks like?"

"Don't push me, I'm the first one here, let me see first, let me see first..."

There was chaos on the city gate tower, as if chicks were fighting for food at dinner time, or as if little horses were welcoming the king of the mountain.

The feeling of strict vigilance just now disappeared.

It was as if a ferocious and terrifying beast had taken off its guard, revealing that under the disguise of a tiger's skin were actually a group of kittens.

It's a bit laughable.

But think about it.

Among the witcher apprentices in Ailin's group who survived to the end, the oldest was only fourteen years old.

The next batch will mostly be eleven, twelve or thirty.

The group of people on the city wall who were vying to see Ailin were probably all under ten years old, and in their previous life they would have been elementary school students, so it didn't seem that strange.

instead.

It is not easy to maintain the previous appearance of strict discipline without any preparation.

This proved that the plan he made for the Demon Hunting Corps before going down the mountain was effective, and the Ancient Sea Fortress now really looked like a fortress.

At least it wouldn't be like in the past, when a few rock trolls arrived, the guards were frightened and gave up the city defense.

of course.

It's not all his fault.

Being able to train a group of ten-year-old children into this state, even if they are demon hunters who have started trials since childhood.

His deputy leader, Master Aristo, is also quite capable.

"Go back! Go back!" Mary stood up and shouted.

But her voice was so soft and gentle that it was completely drowned out by the chatter coming from the city gate tower.

In fact, because of Mary's appearance, the witcher apprentices became more excited and the noise became louder.

until……

Vera rode out from the corner expressionlessly and silently.

The witcher apprentices on the city gate tower had a tacit understanding and gradually quieted down.

The demon hunter apprentice who was not in sight at the back saw his companion in front of him suddenly become quiet, and was still asking "What happened, what happened..."

"The evil old witch is coming..." a witcher apprentice in the front row said in a very low voice.

In an instant.

The Ancient Sea Fortress was silent.

Even Arryn and Vesemir dared not breathe a word.

Compared to demon hunters, wizards are better at perception and mysticism.

The sound they could all hear, Ms. Vera could definitely hear it too.

As for who the evil old witch is...

The answer can be found by looking at Mary's trembling, livid little face.

I just don't know if she, as the chief warlock of the Demon Hunting Corps, has any "contribution" to this ugly nickname.

"Da da da~"

The sound of horse hooves gradually slowed down.

But when passing by Mary, he paused for a moment and then continued to move towards the Ancient Sea Fortress.

From the witcher's perspective, he saw Vera glance at Mary expressionlessly.

The young sorceress, the honorable chief sorceress of the Demon Hunting Corps, turned pale in an instant.

The young demon hunter guard who was originally welcoming with a smile at the city gate paused.

Although they were not good enough to hear the call from the gate tower, they also sensed something was wrong and retreated silently, standing on both sides of the open gate like statues, motionless.

The atmosphere seemed to be frozen.

Vesemir and Arryn looked at each other in bewilderment, then dismounted from their horses and followed the sorceress into Kaer Morhen.

"What should we do, Ailin?" Mary asked in a low voice hurriedly as she passed by the pale-faced Mary.

Ailin glanced at Fang Vera's tall back, leaned over to Mary's ear and whispered:

"Did you teach me this nickname?"

"I...how dare I..." Mary denied repeatedly.

Vera was in charge of the Green Grass Trial in the first half of this year, so it was normal for the apprentices to have some psychological trauma towards Vera.

"That's fine. It's just a naughty child. Children can talk without restraint. Ms. Vera has always been in a good mood. Nothing will happen."

When Mary heard this, her mouth opened wide and she looked at Ailin in disbelief.

Ms. Vera has always had a good temper?
Which eye do you see with? How do you use your brain to determine it?

Vesemir also tilted his head and stared at him with confusion on his face.

The Demon Hunter Master was no fool. After traveling through so many portals, he had already realized that he must have offended the bloody red fox somewhere.

The reason why I persisted to the end.

On the one hand, he didn't want to lose to his apprentice, and on the other hand, he wanted to calm Vera down.

Although he didn't know how he had offended the sorceress.

Is this what you call having a good temper?

In addition...

Are the children naughty?
You yourself are only fourteen years old...

Vesemir scratched his wide-brimmed black hat.

But think about it, Vera has never said a harsh word to Ailin, and has always done her best to help him.

More than ten thousand orens worth of "Verdant Sighs" were given at will. It is said that in the Temple of Meliteli, the iconostasis room was filled with expensive materials, allowing Ailin to learn the ritual (a waste).

She is even closer to me than my own mother.

He said this...there's really nothing wrong with it.

Looking at Arlin's matter-of-fact expression, Vesemir and Mary suddenly felt powerless and didn't want to argue about anything.

So let's just take it as...

Perhaps because their brain waves matched, Vesemir and Mary looked at each other instinctively.

Suddenly, we felt a sense of sympathy and mutual understanding.

After sighing, they headed into the fortress together.

Ailin shrugged and followed.

Although neither Vesemir nor Mary thought Vera was a good-tempered person.

But the sorceress did just as Arryn said. She didn't bother with the witcher apprentice on the city gate tower. She just rode into the fortress without looking around.

Perhaps these apprentices also knew that something was wrong, or perhaps they were simply afraid of Vera, so they did not come down to bother the other three.

In this regard.

Ailin was happy to be free.

The boat is tired.

Although due to "space control", he was no longer uncomfortable with the keen perception of the demon hunter when passing through the portal.

I have had enough rest in recent days.

But when a wanderer who has not been home for a long time returns home, he always feels as if he has put down a heavy burden and feels especially relaxed.

Basking in the bright sunshine, feeling the cool breeze, and smelling the faint fragrance of grass, I felt a little drowsy while swaying on the horse's back.

Nowadays.

He didn't want to do anything, and didn't want to think about the king, the wizard, the Wild Hunt, and the White Frost...

He just wanted to stay in his "big flat", open the balcony, take a hot bath in the bright summer daylight of Kaer Morhen, and then have a good sleep for half a day.

……

Kaer Morhen is particularly deserted in the summer.

Even in late autumn, the blacksmith and tailor shops run by old and disabled witchers that could often be seen on both sides of the river were tightly closed.

I led the horse all the way to the tower on the south side of the castle, but didn't see a single living person.

If it weren't for the early summer, even Kaer Morhen would be so warm that it would seem like a ghost town.

"The demon hunters from the Wolf School have already gone down the mountain by now."

"There should only be demon hunter apprentices in the fortress, as well as Masters White and Aristo who are responsible for training the apprentices."

"But they should all be in the northwest corner at this time. We can see them when we have dinner tonight."

Vesemir explained, noticing that Arryn had been looking around.

"Grandmaster Soi is also here..." Mary added, "At least I saw the Grandmaster in the castle hall when I left Kaer Morhen a month ago."

"Ok?"

Vesemir was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and turned his head to look at Mary in confusion.

Although Soi is the head of the Wolf School, he actually spends about the same amount of time in Kaer Morhen.

Like other demon hunters in the school, he leaves Kaer Morhen every year to eliminate demons that harm humanity according to the commissions received in the autumn and winter of the previous year.

Decades are like a day.

Many times he even returns to Kaer Morhen later than other witchers in the school during the winter.

"Is there something that the Chief is still doing in Kaer Morhen?" Vesemir was a little confused.

but.

When he saw Vera's graceful and tall figure, he immediately understood.

Yes!

There had never been a sorceress named Veera in Kaer Morhen at this time before...

No wonder the Chief...

As the Demon Hunter Master was fiddling with things in his mind, he suddenly felt a cold gaze sweeping over him.

His expression suddenly became serious, and he pulled down his black wide-brimmed hat to hide his expression, not daring to let his imagination run wild anymore.

"Tie the horse here. I'll take it down the mountain tomorrow." The sorceress pointed expressionlessly to the training ground under the tower.

There are no stables in Kaer Morhen.

Due to the narrow and dangerous design of the Killer Trail, ordinary horses cannot get up there, so the horses of the school's witchers are usually kept in the village of Kyle at the foot of the mountain and are taken care of by special villagers.

Following Vera's instructions, everyone tied their horses to a pillar at the edge of the training ground.

After Vesemir thanked Vera, considering that the Chief was in Kaer Morhen, he wanted to take Arryn to discuss the relocation of the school proposed by Duke Mason.

But just as he was about to speak, he noticed Ailin's somewhat tired face, and his heart softened:
"You go back and rest first. I'll go see the chief."

"I'll go with you..." Although Ailin wanted to take a hot bath now, he still knew the importance of things.

“No need,” Vesemir shook his head and stopped him. “Just a brief description of the situation. It won’t take two people.”

Ailin thought about it and didn't insist.

The issues of the Migration School cannot be discussed in a day or two.

Vesemir leaves.

By this time Vera had entered the tower.

Mary held Yennefer's hand tightly, wanting to cry but without tears, and did not dare to follow.

"Let's go. This has nothing to do with you. Ms. Vera wouldn't be so stingy." Ailin patted her shoulder and advised her.

Then he squatted down and comforted Yennefer, who was a little nervous after arriving in Kaer Morhen.

Seeing that Mary still refused to leave, he thought for a moment and said:

"Then you'll come up later?"

"Shall I go to Ms. Vera first and say a few good words for you?"

(End of this chapter)