Demon Hunter: School of the Wolf.

Chapter 512: The Forsaken Path! Imprisoned Soi!
They were at a vineyard.

The thick roots of the grape vines emerge from the ground, climbing and entwining around the neatly arranged wooden frames. The top of each frame is carved with exquisite lion patterns.

It seems to be the harvest season now. Small but plump grapes hang down in bunches, and the air is filled with the sweet fragrance of abundant rain mixed with fruit.

Apart from the strange fact that no one was taking care of or picking the fruits, and apart from the wolf emblem that kept trembling on the chest, it was impossible to tell whether everything in front of me was an illusion or not.

"Although it's an illusion, the grapes are edible," Vera picked a bunch of grapes and handed them to Ailin with a smile, "Lummi is a top grape variety used for winemaking. The raw material of Dongzhidong is the peel of Lumi and the pulp of Qingduolan mixed and fermented."

"It is also the best wine grape that can only be grown in Beauclair, the capital of Toussaint."

"But except that the skin is thicker and the size is smaller, the taste is sweet and the fruit aroma is rich. It is the most delicious type of wine grape."

Out of curiosity, Ailin took the grape called Dew Honey from Vera and tasted one.

The skin is indeed much thicker than the grapes we usually eat, but as soon as you take a sip of it, the rich fruity aroma immediately explodes in your mouth, and the flesh has an extremely rich taste that almost melts in your mouth.

"Is this... an illusion?" Ailin smacked his lips in disbelief.

In fact, it is very easy for him to distinguish whether it is an illusion or not. He just needs to activate the Mirage Pearl.

But he was reluctant to leave because of the highly saturated scenery that made people relax instantly, as well as the sweet grapes with rich fruity flavor.

Once you recognize that you are in an illusion, even if you recover immediately, it will be difficult to have the same sense of immersion as you have now, whether it is vision, smell, touch, hearing, or taste.

Vera is here and there's no danger, so why bother?
"Is it delicious?" Vera produced a piece of white silk cloth and wiped his mouth.

"It has a strong fruity aroma, very good." Ailin nodded.

Vera's eyes narrowed with laughter, and her delicate makeup showed a bit of Ianna's kindness.

She smiled and said:
"Lew honey is a treasure that belongs only to Toussaint and Beauclair."

"The vineyards of Temeria and Aedirn also grow honeydew, but it has a thick skin, astringent flesh, and many seeds..."

"The honey that can be used for both wine and food can only grow under the golden sunshine of Beauclair all year round and the gentle care of the water of the Sansredos River."

"Every year at the turn of summer and autumn, wine merchants in Beauclair have to be on guard against the naughty children of fruit farmers and play hide-and-seek with them in order to grab enough supply..."

"Toussaint..." Ailin kept walking, looking back at the charming scenery like an oil painting, feeling a little fascinated.

In the original book, Toussaint is almost a city that only appears in fairy tales.

Not only is the climate mild all year round, the woods and bushes in that land are also full of rich and juicy fruits all year round, so you will never go hungry.

Also, this country has the knights who adhere most to the spirit of chivalry, and the people are simple and enthusiastic. It is one of the few places where later demon hunters have not felt discrimination or hatred, but only respect for heroes.

It’s almost heaven on earth.

"So you went to Toussaint this time just to copy the scenery here?" Ailin asked curiously.

Vera did not answer immediately. Instead, she crouched down with Ailin, walked through the grape arbor, and pushed open the low wooden door.

Behind the wooden door is a small courtyard.

A small wooden house sits in the center of the yard, surrounded by pink hollyhocks and lavender thyme flowers.

The lounge chair was at the door, swaying slowly in the breeze.

"Soi needs this kind of environment." Vera nodded and stepped into the courtyard first.

Aelin followed closely behind.

However, the moment my right foot stepped over the threshold, the pretty and leisurely scene of the courtyard could not resist the oppression and instantly dispelled the relaxed atmosphere.

That was dragon might, very faint, but impossible to ignore.

"The chief is in this cabin?" Ailin asked.

Vera nodded slightly, looked at the courtyard, and sighed: "We are lucky. Now is the time when he is most stable. Let's go."

At the most stable moment... Ailin's expression froze and he became nervous.

The windows of the wooden house were tightly closed, leaving a gap that was dark and deep, as if a hideous demon from the abyss was sealed in the wooden house.

As the distance to the cabin got closer, the wolf emblem began to buzz and tremble more violently.

The trembling reached its climax when it reached the door of the cabin.

Ailin pressed the wolf emblem to reduce the sharp and piercing explosion, and watched Vera push open the door.

"Squeak~"

The buzzing sound stopped abruptly, and the whole world seemed to be quiet. The wind stopped and the clouds stopped. Between heaven and earth, the only sound was the painful groan of the wooden door's pivot turning.

The door opened, but no more red dragon jumped out and roared.

As he walked into the wooden house, the dragon's powerful aura, which carried a strong and malicious venom, disappeared.

After the demon hunter's eyes adjusted to the dark environment, the azure cat pupils suddenly shrank into a line.

A person was kneeling on the wooden bed in a meditative posture.

He was dressed in plain linen clothes, his eyes were closed, and his face was thin and haggard. If it weren't for the fact that he was clean and tidy, he would have looked just like a beggar on the street.

But this was not the main reason why Ailin's face changed drastically. What really shocked him was that the man's wrists and ankles were locked with shackles that reflected a faint blue glow and were firmly fixed to the ground and the wall.

Those are the magic-blocking gold shackles specially used to imprison warlocks!

In that area, the "wooden bed" and the entire "wooden house" space are vaguely visible.

Sometimes it is a wooden house, sometimes it is a cold cave.

Faintly, when a cave appeared, there were many pits and dark red marks on the gray slate floor.

The man's clothes were not as neat as those in the cabin.

“Chief…Chief?!” Ailin’s eyes widened and he turned his head to look at Vera. “This…this…”

Ms. Vera actually imprisoned the Chief in a cave!

No wonder Francesca Findaby has never been seen, but doesn’t Master Aristo know?

"Sawy has the key," Vera explained, as if she had anticipated Aelin's reaction. "He is imprisoning himself."

Ailin was stunned for a moment and looked at Soyi.

There was indeed a bunch of iron keys on the cabinet not far from the bed.

"Why is the Chief like this?" Ailin didn't understand. Two or three months ago, Soi was a little depressed because of the betrayal and death of his "adopted son" Haxo.

But the overall condition is still okay. Why is he like a madman in a mental hospital now?

Could it be because of a dead king?

How could the leader of a school that had lived for hundreds of years be so fragile?
"Soyi... Soyi he..."

Vera was silent for a long time, as if she was looking for an appropriate explanation, but when she opened her mouth, she couldn't think of a suitable sentence.

At this time.

"I betrayed my path, and this is the punishment that fate has given me." Soi suddenly opened his eyes and interrupted Vera, "I just didn't expect the consequences to be so serious."

Abandoning the path... punishment from fate... consequence...

What is the Chief talking about?
Ailin looked at Vera in bewilderment, but Vera was looking at Soi with eyes that could not hide her sadness.

Soi seemed to see his confusion and explained gently:

“When one’s strength reaches a certain level, everyone needs to choose a path to break through the limit and continue to climb to the top of the mountain.”

"Once you embark on this road, you can't turn back. Any hesitation will stop you in your tracks. And I..."

He paused and smiled self-deprecatingly:

"I denied my original ideals and betrayed the path I chose, so I... fell into the abyss."

Ailin didn't understand much, but he felt that he seemed to have grasped the key words.

Roads, limits, mountain tops, abysses...

He didn't understand what the other three meant, but did the limit refer to the "Limit·Beginning" that appeared after the strength attribute reached ninety-nine?
['Attribute: Strength' has reached its limit. Please find an opportunity to replenish yourself. ]

He had always thought that the self-completion given by the system referred to the second mutation produced by Thomas Moreau's experiment, but Soi must not have obtained the technology for the second mutation.

So Ailin had been wrong all along?

Or are this road and Soi's road two different roads?

He wanted to give Soi an appraisal, but the Chief's condition seemed unstable at the moment. He hesitated for a moment and did not dare to do so.

"What does it take to be strong enough to choose a path?" Ailin gritted his teeth and asked directly.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you," Soi shook his head, "but it's too early for you. It's no good to know too much in advance."

"And when you are strong enough, you will be able to sense it yourself without any reminders or tests."

I will know it myself... Ailin was silent for a few seconds. Does the system prompt count as "telepathy"?

Soi looked at his frowning brows and continued in a gentle tone: "When the time comes, go find Vera, and Vera will tell you everything."

"Chief..." Ailin sensed the ominousness in the words and was about to say something.

"Let's not talk about this anymore," Soi interrupted with a wave of his hand. The magic-blocking gold shackles on his right wrist rustled. "Since Vera brought you here, she must have something important to tell you."

"Tell me now while I'm still conscious."

Business was more important. Francesca was still waiting for a reply, so Ailin could only temporarily give up his desire to explore. He said:
"The free elves deep in the Blue Mountains have sent messengers here in compliance with the agreement made half a year ago."

"You still need to come forward to sign the contract between the Free Elves and the Wolf School."

"Free elves?" Soi was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized, "They are from Shadia, right? Did they just come today?"

“Three…” Ailin paused and glanced at Vera.

"You came back with me four days ago," Vera sighed, "You were not in good condition at that time, so I discussed it with Aristo and didn't tell you."

Soi was silent for a long time, then he looked up at the ordinary wooden beams, took a deep breath, and asked:
"What time is it now?"

"It's almost noon," Ailin said.

Suo Yi nodded: "Then in the evening, in the evening I will..."

"Soy!" Vera interrupted him, "Have you forgotten your status? You can't leave here now!"

"I can bear it..."

"No!" Vera denied it firmly, with an extremely firm tone.

The cabin fell into deathly silence.

The atmosphere was so tense that no one dared to speak.

Ailin subconsciously held his breath, but in his heart he kept thinking about how badly the Chief was injured.
Why can't they find the time to leave this beautiful cage even after signing a contract that was already tacitly agreed upon and only required a signature?
Is it so serious to abandon that path?
"I can't stay at home forever..." Soi broke the silence. He smiled at Vera apologetically and flatteringly, "I am the chief of the Wolf School and the grandmaster of the Ancient Sea Fortress. This is my job..."

"Have you forgotten what you said?" Vera's voice suddenly became sharp, and her tone could not hide her panic. "You said that when everything is over, we will go back to Toussaint together, grow grapes, make wine, and participate in competitions together..."

"How are you going to keep your promise?"

"Don't you want to be a part of our future?!"

Ailin, who had been avoiding sight and pretending to be invisible, felt that Soyi and Vera were looking at him, and his whole body tensed up.

He thought Soi was hinting at him to persuade Vera, and Vera was blaming him and asking him to persuade Soi.

I shouldn’t have raised this question if I had known… He cursed himself inwardly.

But thinking about it, it was he who proposed the union of the Free Elves and the Wolf School, and Francesca Findaby was an acquaintance, so it was unavoidable after all.

"How about...how about letting the free elves come here?"

Aelin suggested carefully.

He didn't know whether outsiders were allowed in this place, but since he could come in, there shouldn't be any problem.

He continued, "Francesca Findaby, the messenger of the free spirit, is someone who has shared the good and bad times with me... um... a friend. As long as we agree, I can ask her to find a way to get rid of the guards. She shouldn't reveal the Chief's situation."

"Francesca Findaby?" It sounded familiar to Soi.

"The daughter of Shadia and Himlais Findaby," Willa explained, then looked at Aelin, "Just a friend?"

Ailin shook his head speechlessly.

Is there something wrong with the focus?
Is now the time to gossip about my love life?
"Just friends," he said softly.

Vera and Soi looked at each other and bowed their heads in silence for a moment.

"That's it," Vera agreed first. "Ion Sheedi needs an ally against Ban Ader and Kaedwen more than we do, even if Francesca Findaby leaks it."

Kaedwen is dead... Arryn sighed in his heart when he heard this.

But Vera and Soi seemed unaware of the news. Didn’t they read the letter that Vesemir sent back from Ireland some time ago?

"Okay," Soi's expression suddenly changed, and he said in a slightly hurried tone, "Anything else?"

Ailin was preoccupied with something else and didn't notice Soi's change.

He was a little hesitant, not knowing whether he should bring up the fall of Kaedwen, the Wild Hunt, Drakenberg, and the rescue of Heng Gedimedes at this time.

To put it bluntly, without knowing whether Soi's body could withstand the shock, he was afraid that if so many things were told, the chief would suddenly die in front of him.

"Let's go." Vera spoke to save him, "It's not an emergency, there's no need to rush."

Ailin breathed a sigh of relief and obediently followed Vera away.

The fall of Kaedwen, the beheading of a Redalian noble, and the offense against the Risberg Civil Partnership and the great noble of Logrides should not be considered urgent matters... right?

Walk out of the wooden house and leave the yard.

The depressing atmosphere was immediately dispelled by Toussaint's charming fairy-tale scenery, but Vera did not regain the relaxation and joy she had when she first arrived.

So before they walked far, Ailin looked at the depressed sorceress Vera and asked tentatively:

"Ms. Vera, have you ever heard of the Great Deed Container?"

(End of this chapter)