Demon Hunter: School of the Wolf.

Chapter 562 Vigfortz: The Child of Miracles is My Ladder
Ban Ad.

The incense burner box, with its openwork carvings, emitted wisps of white smoke.

The study in the Wigford Tower, whose shelves were once filled with parchment books, etchings and slates, is now mostly empty.

All the ancient etched scrolls had disappeared, leaving only parchment books with new-looking spines on the bookshelves, making the entire study look empty.

Only the manuscripts piled up on the desk remained unchanged from before.

"Click~"

The door opened, and Lydia van Bradwater walked in.

She ignored the empty surroundings and went straight to the desk.

"Tap~tap~tap~"

The crisp sound of footsteps echoed in the study.

The table piled high with manuscripts trembled slightly, and a weary voice came from it:

"Everything is arranged?"

“I’ve already spoken to Graeme,” Lydia nodded, then paused for a moment before adding, “Senny was there when I got there.”

“Senny?”

A head with messy hair peeked out from the mountain of books. The skin was slightly unhealthy and pale, with heavy dark circles under the eyes, as if the person hadn't slept well for a long time.

There was also a faint red mark on one side of her cheek, so she must have been sleeping.

At first glance, you would never guess that this is the same Vigfortz who is known for his debonair and handsome appearance.

"Why is he there?" Wigfordts frowned.

“I don’t know,” Lydia shook her head. “As soon as I opened the door, the conversation inside stopped immediately, and after I left, they even cast Kolber’s Silencer spell.”

Upon hearing this, Wigfordts lowered his head and stroked the edge of a parchment covered in aristocratic cursive script on the table, lost in thought.

After a while, he suddenly seemed to remember something, raised his head, and gently reprimanded:

“Don’t do anything so dangerous next time. Sunny has been getting more and more… irritable and suspicious lately.”

After Wigford and Miguel returned empty-handed from the Passoron Forest, the heavy casualties directly triggered a fierce conflict between them and the already simmering tensions in Ban Ad.

Although Sunny eventually used benefits, prestige, and the united fury of the Wild Hunt to quell the bloody conflict.

However, due to the growing voice of the opposition within the academy and the imbalance of power among the radicals, it was ultimately necessary to introduce the behemoth, the Risberg Civil Cooperative.

However, everything seemed to go smoothly afterwards.

The slogan, "Establish a secular kingdom belonging to sorcerers, so that the wisdom of spellcasters can better govern mankind," was put forward on the third day after the arrival of the Risberg Civil Cooperative Organization, and the voices of the opposition were immediately drowned out by the fervent reaction of the young sorcerers.

When it was discovered that the Wild Hunt's spoils had been stolen by the elves, and a war was promptly launched, Ban Ade was so swayed that he fell silent.

but……

Even though everything seemed to be going in the direction of Sunny's plan, with the Ottoland and Risberg civil cooperatives backing him up, and even the biggest threat—Aden's army—collapsed due to the sudden appearance of the Wild Hunt.

Instead of regaining his former elegance and wisdom, Sunny's temperament became increasingly... eccentric.

Irritability and suspicion are actually rather conservative terms.

Recently, many people in Ban Ade have been reprimanded or even punished on the spot for trivial matters.

This group even includes the radicals themselves.

As for the non-radicals, they fared much worse. They were unilaterally beaten under the guise of "magical training," and even imprisoned, detained, and tortured on charges of "colluding with outsiders" and "leaking secrets."

Furthermore, unauthorized outings are prohibited, and strict reporting is required for both departures and returns.

Lydia went there to report her itinerary, but she never expected to run into Sunny.

Therefore, the atmosphere in Ban Ade has been strange lately.

On the one hand, the lower classes were extremely enthusiastic, but on the other hand, the upper classes were silent as if a storm was about to break.

Kolbe's Silence Spell is a spell that produces very little noise.

After Lydia left, she deliberately tried to find out what was going on, and that's when she discovered the signs of the spell.

If Sunny were to discover this behavior on the spot, the consequences would be unimaginable.

“I understand,” Lydia nodded, a slight smile playing on her lips. “But things went smoothly. Sunny didn’t restrict our movements; she just told us to come back as soon as possible.”

“Senni probably doesn’t suspect us. He was just temporarily unhappy last time because we refused to attack the Free Elves.”

Wigford nodded slightly.

Their current position in Ban Ade is also quite strange.

Because of his status as an outsider and the background of Henry Gedimidis's introduction of Ben Ade, he was not trusted and was completely excluded from the affairs of the core of the radical faction.

However, due to his talent for magic and his active participation in many radical faction commissions, he has a good relationship with many core radical faction figures, especially Miguel and Vidal.

Therefore, it gained a considerable degree of trust.

As for his refusal to lead troops to attack the Free Elves, this certainly diminished the radicals' appreciation of him, but it was not a major issue.

However, this is still not a long-term solution.

[Vigorfortz, you shouldn't have refused the mission to cleanse the free elves...]

But it's too late now.

In the next few days, Ban Ade will launch a war against the Free Spirits. You... if you can take it on, then take it on; if not, then find a way to leave Ban Ade...

However, it needs to be done quickly!

Recalling the words Vidal had given him before leaving a few days ago after teaching him stick fighting, Vigfortz's eyes flickered with uncertainty.

“Vigor?” Lydia called softly.

Wigfordts snapped out of his reverie: "Once we've finished organizing these blueprints, we'll set off."

Subsequently.

He shook his head slightly and then buried himself in his book again.

"Splash~ Splash~"

The pages turned, occasionally accompanied by the subtle sound of pen strokes rubbing against chiffon paper.

Lydia stood to the side, quietly watching Wigfordtez, who was engrossed in his work, but her pupils were not focused, and her attention was not on Wigfordtez.

after awhile.

Wiggoffts gradually stopped, his quill pen sliding across the chiffon paper, and noticed Lydia's unusual behavior when he looked up.

"What are you thinking about?" "Nothing..." Lydia snapped out of her reverie at the sound of the voice and instinctively denied it.

However, after seeing Wigford's gaze, she hesitated for a moment, carefully glancing around the study where no one else was present, and said:
"Vigor, are you really going to betray Ben Ade and help Tissaya de Veres?"

"It's not too late..."

"You don't want me to help Aretusa?" Vigforts looked at Lydia with interest and teased.

“I don’t want you to risk your life to help,” Lydia said earnestly, looking Vigforts directly into his eyes. “The supernatural world has always been dominated by sorcerers, and the ruling power in the wizarding world is mostly held by male wizards. Although Ban Aard isn’t strong now, the Risberg Civil Cooperative is also…”

“I remember we discussed the same issue before,” Wigford interrupted.

Lydia paused, then nodded slightly: "We...we did discuss it."

"I remember we reached a conclusion at that time."

Lydia didn't speak, but she didn't avoid eye contact either.

Wigford leaned back in his high-backed chair, his hands clasped together in front of him, and gazed at her silently for a moment before saying:

"Do you think that Sunny's ability to successfully establish his so-called warlock kingdom has changed your mind?"

Lydia nodded: "Ban Ade is very fanatical now. You can't see anyone in the academy. He opposes the establishment of the sorcerer kingdom."

Wigfordtz did not speak.

“The attitude of most nobles and kings in the Northern Continent is also ambiguous,” Lydia continued. “I learned from Tissaya de Veres that only Temuria, Aden, Cowell, and Bovis have a more resolute attitude.”

“Other countries are not as extreme as Tissaia de Veres imagined, in their aversion to sorcerers wielding secular power.”

"Conversely, the alliance between Redalia and Henvers, though not explicitly stated, is itself a form of support."

"Compared to Aden's complete occupation of Cordwin, most nobles do not care about sorcerers who cannot reproduce naturally, but rather care about the favor of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, represented by Ban Ade and the Risberg Civil Cooperative."

Wigford smiled noncommittally.

“And…” Lydia noticed Wiggerts’s indifference, paused, and said, “The cities around Ban Ade that were destroyed by the Wild Hunt have been completely rebuilt.”

"Most of the nobles who fled the war in Cordwin sought refuge with Sunny."

"Under the pretext of 'completely annihilating the elves,' tens of thousands of people have already gathered around Ban Ad..."

“Vigor…” Lydia took a deep breath, “I can’t think of any possibility that the establishment of the sorcerer kingdom could fail.”

“In fact, Ban Ade is now capable of establishing a secular government for warlocks.”

"The reason it hasn't been established is simply because it hasn't been established with them yet..."

"The free spirits hiding in the Blue Mountains have not yet been eliminated," Vigfortz continued Lydia's words.

Lydia paused for a moment, then nodded.

“Senni and Ottoran must have planned it that way,” Vigforts nodded. “There is no legal lineage in a pure sorcerer kingdom.”

"Only the ancient path of seizing land, people, and wealth from the mountain peoples and establishing a nation by offering more living space to mankind can block the human rulers of the northern continent."

"Although there's not much land to take from the mountain people, they are weak enough."

"So Sunny and Ottolan's plan is good. Exterminating the elves is a legitimate way to establish a kingdom. It's very thoughtful and rigorous."

Lydia was stunned and quickly asked, "Since you also know that the Sorcerer Kingdom is on the verge of being established, why are you still working for Tisaya de Veris?"

“Vigor, isn’t your purpose in coming to Ban Ade to get into the High Council of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers as soon as possible?”

"Although the radicals have not fully accepted us yet, with your abilities, you can certainly get a substantial share of the spoils in the establishment of the sorcerer kingdom."

"But once you get involved in Tissaya de Veres's rescue of Henry Gedimidis, if it succeeds, fine; but if it fails and is discovered..."

"By turning against the radical faction network carefully cultivated by Ban Ad, not only will he definitely not be able to enter the High Council of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, but there is also a high probability that he will be hunted down by Ban Ad and the Risberg Civil Cooperative."

"And even if it succeeds."

"Henry Gedimidis is still recovering from his injuries. Although Ottoland is weaker than Henry Gedimidis, he is not much weaker. Furthermore, with the help of the Risberg Civil Cooperative Organization, Sunny has almost completely controlled Ban Ad."

"Even if we rescue Hen Gedimidis, can the Dean of Ban Ade really still control Ban Ade?"

"Besides, even if Henry Gedimidis really does control Ban Ad, so what?"

“Senny and the radicals may be punished, but they will never be ostracized from the wizarding world. However, Vigor, you have truly offended them and the Risberg Civil Cooperative, two major forces in the wizarding world.”

"Even with Henri Gedimidis and Tissaya de Veres as backers, the gains can't outweigh the losses..."

Lydia spoke in rapid succession, her voice ringing out like a string of bullets.

It's obvious that she's been holding these words in for a long time.

“Vigor, Tisaya de Veris is rigidly principled. She doesn’t care about the loss of interests, only whether the order is maintained and whether the stability of the Northern Continent is disrupted.”

"But I don't understand why you insist on getting involved. Is it because of that witcher named Arryn?"

“He is the Child of Miracles.” Vigforts, who had been listening to Lydia’s advice with a smile, suddenly spoke up and gently corrected her.

Lydia paused for a moment.

Wigford stood up from his seat and slowly walked to the window.

Under the blue light that enveloped the entire city, Ban Ad seemed to have fully recovered from the disaster of six months ago, thanks to the wealth and labor contributed by the nobles and the great power of the sorcerers.

The noise was so great that it could be felt even deep within the Ban Ad Academy.

"Lydia, you're mistaking the reflection in the water for the stars in the night sky."

Wigford tapped his index finger lightly on the white marble windowsill, looking down at the tiny, busy crowd on the ground, his usually warm gaze now unusually cold.

"Joining the senior council is not the goal, it never has been."

"It's just that in this world, every seat is already occupied by mediocre people. No matter how talented a newcomer is, they have to wait until they waste their youth and wait for their predecessors to make room for them before they can move up step by step."

"Chaos is the ladder to progress, but no matter how fierce the war, it will not affect the Brotherhood of Warlocks, so I can only wait."

"I must wait, perhaps ten years, perhaps a hundred years, otherwise I will have to bow my head before others."

"but……"

Wigford turned around, his light green pupils trembling as if burning with raging fire.

"That's normal, that's normal..."

"But now, Lydia..."

"I found my ladder."

"The child of miracles is my ladder."

(End of this chapter)