Demon Hunter: School of the Wolf.

Chapter 553 Becoming the chief is his unavoidable duty! Revolving lantern! (4400 words!)

There is no pain in sleep.

In the dream, soft golden sunlight poured in from the window.

That is the color unique to Toussaint's summer, warm and lazy, as if you can easily smell the intoxicating aroma of grapes, lie on the straw hot in the sun, and sleep for a whole afternoon.

"...Alin...Soi...mutation...water ghost..."

The whispers in his ears made him suddenly realize, in a half-asleep state, that he spotted a graceful figure with her head lowered outside the window.

Wei...La...

"It's not a dream..." He sighed softly.

Vera was also very beautiful when she was a child, but not as tall and not as...cold.

She has a round face with light freckles, loves to laugh and is kind, and is a little girl loved by all adults.

"When did she become like this?"

He began to think about it in a rambling way...

Was it when he escaped from the castle with the chivalrous witcher, or when he drank the mutant potion and betrayed his noble duties, or when he persuaded her to take their chosen child, their miracle child, back to the cold Kaer Morhen deep in the Blue Mountains...

Maybe all of these, no, it is all of these pasts that made her who she is and who I am.

"I'm going to deliver the materials to Ada. If you feel unwell, press the rune immediately and I'll be back."

Vera came back at some point and stood at the head of the bed, giving him instructions.

He moved his mouth, but he didn't know what he said. He saw her being silent for a while, saying the word "noon", and then hurried away.

The cabin fell silent.

Although he was still a little groggy, Vera's departure made him a little more awake.

After waking up, the sunlight coming in from the window doesn't seem so real anymore.

Even though it was still golden and warm, there was the aroma of ripe grapes and fermented fruit.

But fake is fake, like a pool of stagnant water. You may mistake it for something from a distance, but you will not be able to deceive yourself when you get closer.

"Noon..." He opened his mouth slightly, and immediately a strong taste of rust permeated his mouth, "The time is almost up..."

He felt so weak that even the pain in his body was weakened.

The disappearance of life has never been so clear, just like the white sand sliding down an hourglass, which will fall immediately once it overturns, but is also irreversible.

He is dying...

So, like every dying person, he began to recall and look back on his long life.

His name was Zoi, Zoi Henrietta, the ruler of Toussaint, the eldest son of the House of Henrietta, and the destined next Grand Duke.

But this destined future never came, because a black-haired demon hunter beheaded a vampire who sucked four families dry and left more than twenty mummies, causing panic among the people of the royal city.

Sacrifice yourself, endure hardships and pain, in exchange for extraordinary power, and eliminate evil for mankind...

Every element related to the Demon Hunter was too tempting for the boy who dreamed of becoming a real knight and had the ability to run away from home.

So in order to embark on the imagined road to glory, he followed incognito, went through harsh training and pain, became a demon hunter, and became a member of the glorious demon hunter cult.

At least at first, he thought it was glorious.

He met some friends in the cult, some of whom later parted ways with him, while others stayed with him until the end, or even until now.

But there are few such friends.

More people leave the stage set by fate early on.

Then he realized that not everyone was willing to become a witcher and devote themselves to what he believed to be a noble cause.

The Witcher Cult was not as noble as he had imagined. From its founder to its colleagues, the Witcher Cult had committed many crimes overtly and even more in secret.

But at that time, his pupils had already turned into the shape of a beast, and there was no turning back.

Once a demon hunter, always a demon hunter.

He could only keep telling himself every day, every hour, every minute, every second—

“I am on the right path,” “I am on a glorious path recognized by the whole world,” “I must control my thoughts, desires, and strength,” “I can always find…”

……

Year after year, he indulged himself in the battle of exterminating monsters and made a great name for himself.

His status in the Demon Hunter Order also improved, and he gained a large group of fellow followers who recognized his ideas.

Then, he didn't know how long it had been, but during a commission, he met Vera, who was accepted as an apprentice by the warlock and was also gaining fame. After becoming a witcher for several years, he heard news from Toussaint for the first time...

His mother cried all day because of his disappearance and died of worry a few years ago.

The father, who was deeply in love with his mother and whose hair had turned gray, gave up his throne to the second child of Henrietta's family on the pretext of serving the God of Knights.

Is he a hero?

He didn't know, but he was definitely a coward.

In the years since he left his hometown, he has deliberately avoided Toussaint when traveling around the continent and taking on commissions. Even in the severe winter, when he heard news about his companions in front of the bonfire in Mograg Castle, he would find an excuse to leave.

In the end, I missed my mother's funeral and was not able to see her for the last time.

After that, he hesitated for several years, and even his father passed away. He finally mustered up the courage, or was threatened and forced by Vera to return to his hometown and stand in front of his parents' graves.

Of course he is a coward.

That same year, Arzu and Cosimo betrayed them.

Afterwards, the accumulated conflicts within the Witcher Cult erupted completely because of Anahad's despicable behavior.

He tried his best to resolve the conflict, but in the end things went against his will.

After Anahad left, Elan also invited him, but he refused.

The griffins were too close to the nobles and sorcerers.

He had been influenced by them since he was a child and knew the evil behind the nobles and sorcerers' glorious appearance.

Therefore, he respected the character of the griffins, but did not agree with their ideas, and finally chose to stay.

Elan left him a lot of things, but he was ultimately unable to restore the Witcher Cult, and could only leave for Kaedwen with those who recognized his ideas.

However, because of this, everyone calls him the legitimate successor of the Witcher Cult.

But...is he really?

Do not!
He is just an ordinary person who has great power but no choices, no abilities, and no goals.

He was at a loss.

After leaving Kaedwen, he tried to learn the lessons of the witcher cult, adhere to neutrality, live in peace with the world, and focus only on hunting monsters and saving the world.

But it wasn't long before his compassion was broken by his own concealment and hypocrisy, and the person who almost helped him to the throne destroyed the school he founded and killed his brothers and heirs.

Looking back, he had been away from Toussaint for more than two hundred years, but apart from killing those endless monsters, he had achieved nothing and almost ruined the entire Wolf School.

The only achievements he seemed to be proud of were Vera and Aelin.

He looked at the decorative painting on the ceiling, and his eyes softened suddenly, but then he could not hide his sadness and regret.

He remembered what he promised Vera more than two months ago...

[Your child is very ambitious, just like you were back then. The desire burning in his pupils is about to overflow, and he can’t hide it anymore…]

[He wants to be where I am now... But he's still a little short of it, he still needs someone to help him...]

[Clean the seat, add armrests, stabilize the legs, and preferably embroider some patterns and carve some textures to show glory and majesty...]

【In this way, he can sit firmly and for a long time. 】

"If I hadn't left Toussaint so stubbornly, Arryn could have been the Grand Duke of Toussaint, married a beautiful wife, and had lovely children..."

"But now in Wolf School, I can't even help him clean the seat..."

His eyes were a little dim, and he recalled the future he had imagined at that time.

[We can plant grape vines in the spring, prune and pinch off side shoots in the summer, harvest in the fall, and drink our own wine in front of the crackling wood-burning fireplace in the winter...]

"I'm sorry, Wei, I can't wait until that day..." Before he finished speaking, Vera's questioning face suddenly appeared in front of him like a revolving lantern.

She is questioning...

【Do you regret taking this path? 】

He was silent.

In an instant, Vera's face turned into Arlin's again, and then into Hacksoll, the Wolf School, and the Witcher Cult's former companions who had left the stage of fate one step ahead of him...

Finally, when the gray-haired majestic and angry look of father Moreno Henrietta flashed away, it turned into the loving and angry look of mother Greta Enres...

He could no longer bear the sourness in his nose, and a touch of warmth slid down the corners of his eyes.

"Yeah, I regret it."

"I regret it, mother..."

"What are you regretting?" Vera suddenly pushed the door open and walked to his side.

"I regret taking this path." Suo Yi turned his head and looked at her reluctantly without hiding anything.

Vera was stunned for a moment.

Then he couldn't help but twitch his nose, closed his eyes and tilted his head back, as if he wanted to use gravity to force back the tears.

After a long time, she took a deep breath, lowered her head, and comforted him:

"There is still a chance. Our miracle child has found a way."

"When everything is over, we can still go back to Toussaint together, grow grapes, make wine, and participate in competitions..."

"Do you remember White Unicorn Manor?"

"I have asked someone to buy the place where our two families used to vacation together in the summer."

"When you recover, we will go back...we will...we will..."

Vera choked up as she spoke, and when she subconsciously raised her hands to hug him, tears suddenly flowed uncontrollably from her eyes and fell to the ground with a thud.

Soi was like a piece of broken porcelain that was barely stuck together, with every part of his body covered in wounds.

His hands were hanging in the air, unable to find a place to land.

"You look better when you cry..."

Suo Yi suddenly said something.

Vera was stunned for a moment, then she burst into laughter from crying.

"Of course, it looks better when you smile," Soi changed his words again, and then said with a gentle smile, "Since our miracle child has come up with a solution, there is no need to worry."

"so……"

He paused and asked, "Is it noon?"

"Yes, we're here." Vera wiped her tears and nodded, "Everything is ready."

"Then take me away." Without blinking, Suoyi copied the outline of his beloved over and over again, greedily and reluctantly.

"I can't...wait any longer."

……

The witcher's laboratory on the first floor of Kaer Morhen.

The bodies of the water ghosts have been cleaned up, and the crystal jars connected to the iron pipes of the "Iron Maiden" are once again filled with clear or turbid liquids.

Jeroen Moreau and Ayling were busy at the Iron Maiden, but all preparations for the second mutation had been completed and carefully checked five times.

This is the sixth time now.

Vesemir, Dante, Aristo, and Aida Emin were also present, but no one spoke.

They all lowered their heads, not knowing what they were thinking, or perhaps thinking nothing. They just hoped that time would pass as quickly as possible in silence, or stop forever.

until……

"Boom~"

The orange portal glowed, and Vera and Soi "walked" out of it.

At least Vera walked out, while Soi floated out in a standing posture with his feet dangling in the air.

Ailin was shocked when he saw Soi again after nearly half a month.

He now looked like a prisoner who had been tortured to death, with the pieces of flesh that had been cut into pieces by a thousand cuts being pasted back together, but not yet firmly fixed.

His skin and flesh were puffy and his entire body was scarlet, making him look extremely terrifying and hideous.

"Isn't it scary?" Suoyi looked at him with his old gray eyes, and seemed to curl the corners of his mouth and smile.

"Chief..." Before Ailin could say anything, the bearded Aristo choked up.

Ailin came back to his senses and quickly opened the metal plate on the chest of the "Iron Maiden", revealing a series of straps: "Chief...Chief, come in quickly, everything is ready."

"There's no rush." ​​Soi signaled Vera to stop.

Vera paused and was about to continue moving as if she hadn't heard anything, but Soi's eyes turned immediately into pleading.

She glanced at Ailin, sighed, and could only stop.

Ailin said quickly: "If there is anything, it can wait until later..."

"I can't wait any longer," Soi shook his head and struggled to tilt his head. "Aristo, you're the only one who hasn't given me an answer to my previous question."

Question... answer... Ailin was stunned for a moment and looked behind Soi.

Vesemir and Dante avoided his gaze in tacit agreement.

Aristo glanced at Ailin, was silent for only a second, and then said, "Teacher Soi, that's not a good position."

"Without the constraints of a school, he can live a better life whether relying on swordsmanship, alchemy or genetic mutation."

"But if you do, then... you shouldn't bring it up at this time..."

"I only ask for your answer." Soi interrupted him with a burning look.

Aristo glanced at Arryn who seemed to be in deep thought, then exchanged glances with Vesemir and Dennis, nodded, and sighed:

"Then I agree. I will go and convince White and Valerius."

"That's enough." Soi heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed all over.

He no longer resisted, and Vera carefully put him into the "Iron Maiden", tied him up with straps, and then with a clattering sound, the iron sheets closed and slowly covered Soi's entire body.

"and many more!"

When the iron sheet was about to close on his face, Suoyi suddenly spoke up to stop it.

Geron Moreau paused and did not pull the next valve.

Soi glanced at Vera again, then looked at Arryn, who had no expression on his face. "Aristo, Vesemir, Dante..."

"Chief?" The three of them were stunned for a moment and then responded immediately.

"Aristo is actually right. Arryn can live better without the School of the Wolf."

"But it is his duty, Aristo..."

He paused, and his tone became serious:
"Erin, this is my child, the son of Henrietta and the Triens family... cough... cough..."

Before he finished speaking, Soi suddenly started coughing, and scarlet blood flowed out from the corner of his mouth.

"Hurry! Start!" Vera's face changed drastically, "He can't hold on any longer!"

Geron Moreau pulled the valve before Vera could say anything.

The last piece of iron of the "Iron Maiden" covered Soi's face. Almost at the same time, Ailin jumped behind him and opened all the valves on his back with his hands like a phantom.

"His-"

The sound of venomous snakes hissing was heard in the witcher's laboratory.

(End of this chapter)