Demon Hunter: School of the Wolf.

Chapter 673 A Reindeer Master Appears!
“Am I not a druid now?” Arlin asked curiously. “I remember saying yesterday that stepping into the Oak Forest makes one a formal druid.”

Zebi Ortega's rough, old face flushed red: "That's not what I meant... You are a druid now, of course, but you need a more professional organization to learn... I'm not saying witchers are bad, or that the Wolf School is inferior to Mayna, but..."

The old druid was rambling incoherently, his rough wrinkles trembling, his face growing increasingly red.

However, Erin understood the general meaning and roughly grasped that the talent he was "displaying" was probably quite rare among druids.

He didn't think Zebi Ortega was overly worldly because of the difference in his displayed talent before and after.

If he were just a fourteen-year-old witcher who had just come down from the mountain and hadn't been tempered by society, he might have thought that way, and he might even have felt displeased by the implicit belittling of witchers in Zebi Ortega's tone.

But he, who has lived two lives, would not.

On the contrary, he felt a warm feeling in his heart, like soaking in a hot spring.

Even though he hadn't shown any talent and hadn't been able to meditate for almost a week, Zebi Ortega, a high-ranking Archdruid in the Ring of Maidal, showed no impatience. Instead, he comforted him and carefully helped him fill in the gaps in his knowledge.

Kind and responsible, just like the teachers Erin had encountered in his previous life.

Even though the students' future has absolutely nothing to do with him, he just can't stand seeing people waste their youth and talent and go astray.

What benefits would Erin's betrayal of the Wolf School and joining the Ring of Maidalui bring to Zebi Ortega?
The Ring of Maidalui is not a very strong personal bond, and it is not the Ban Ad and Risberg civil cooperative that can help the mentor make money.

Even if the apprentice's status rises, it's impossible for the mentor's status to rise accordingly.

To put it simply, there is no hierarchy among Druids.

What worldly interests could a group of great druids, who have no worldly desires, spend their days holed up in the deep mountains and forests, keeping company with wild beasts, and meditating for years at a time, possibly have to fight over?
They were even less hierarchical in terms of status and class than the Temple of Meritelli.

Moreover, if Erin actually listens to him, Zebi Ortega will offend all the Witcher schools and find himself in a thankless and difficult situation in the Ring of Maidalui.

of course.

Zebi Ortega probably didn't think that much at the time; he was just a good teacher who couldn't stand seeing his apprentice waste his talent.

and so……

“Thank you, mentor Zebi Ortega,” he said sincerely, “but I’m doing well at the Wolf School, and being a Witcher doesn’t prevent me from pursuing the way of nature, does it?”

Zebi Ortega was getting anxious: "How could it not be a hindrance? The Witcher... the Witcher..."

He saw Erin's calm blue cat eyes. People with those eyes are determined and not easily persuaded.

After calming down, Zebi Ortega suddenly realized that if Erin was really persuaded by him, there would be a whole host of consequences that could ruin their reputations.

He was an old druid who was nearing the end of his life, so it didn't matter to him. He had a clear conscience, and his reputation wouldn't be ruined for more than a few years before he had to serve Mother Nature.

But Erin has a long time ahead of her, a very, very long time...

Although modern witchers rarely talk about honor and responsibility like they did during the Witcher Order era, the Bear School, another orthodox witcher sect, even only takes on jobs based on payment and occasionally even works as bandits.

However, it is still not allowed for a witcher to neglect his main profession; in fact, it is a major taboo.

Once a Witcher becomes a Witcher, they are a Witcher for life, a killing tool for humanity to eliminate monsters.

A sword can accidentally injure an ally or even its owner, but it cannot refrain from killing.

Swords that do not kill will only be rusted by wind and rain, and in order to prevent other swords from having heretical ideas, they will inevitably be cruelly broken and hung high on the city gate for all to see.

Zebi Ortega was silent for a few seconds, then pursed his dry lips.

"I'm sorry, Erin, I didn't think it through."

“It’s nothing,” Erin shook her head gently, changing the subject, “Shall we set off now?”

Zebi Ortega was silent for a few more seconds before nodding: "If you don't have anything else, let's do it now."

Looking at the Witcher's calm demeanor and feeling the increasingly approachable natural aura emanating from him, he felt a growing sense of regret.

Why is such a good child a witcher...?
-
Leaving the cabin where Erin lived, mentor Zebi Ortega led the way.

Lydia lives in a different area than Erin, and they are quite far apart.

The Ring of Maidalui is a very ancient druidic ring. Unlike human cities, its dwellings are not planned in a way; they are residential areas built by the druids who once lived in the Ring of Maidalui.

Therefore, due to different druid preferences, some houses are located very close to the nearby city of Mayna, while others are not. Although houses are not allowed to be built in the inner ring of the Maynadruid Ring, most are located in sparsely populated areas in the outer ring.

In addition, some residential areas are large, while others are small.

In some residential areas, houses like Arlin's cabins are built under ancient oak trees, looking as if they were carved out of the thick trunks, reminiscent of the Shire from *The Lord of the Rings*. Other houses are constructed from rough stone blocks…

Moreover, even within the same residential area, the architectural styles can vary greatly...

However, perhaps it's because the builder was a druid.

Although the architectural styles are varied, most of them blend naturally with the surrounding environment, forming a charming landscape.

When her injuries had just healed, Erin quite enjoyed strolling around the outer ring of the Ring of Maidalui, admiring the magnificent creations that blended the druids' ingenuity with nature.

anyway.

At the time, Erin needed to receive treatment from Visenna, who, as the mistress of the Ring of Maidalui, had many daily affairs to attend to. Therefore, the place arranged for him was in the Ring of Maidalui, which could be considered near the main road.

But Lydia is different.

Erin had never been to the place where Lydia lived, during his leisurely strolls.

Although it was in the outer ring of the Maynard Rui Ring, it was too far from the main road. There wasn't even a main road made by people walking on it. Instead, we walked directly into a thicket of lush bushes.

“The house Lydia chose was originally for a druid from the Skellige Islands,” Zebi Ortega seemed to sense Erin’s confusion and broke the silence that had followed. “The Skellige Islands have a harsh climate; storms, cold, and blizzards are not uncommon on that island.”

"Therefore, most Druids from the Skellige Islands advocated asceticism to temper their will and their faith in Mother Nature."

"This druid lives in a very remote place, even among the druids who have been to the Ring of Maidaldo and who are from the Skellige Isles."

Upon hearing this, Erin asked curiously, "Besides Lydia, how many people have lived in this house?"

Zebi Ortega waved his wooden cane, clearing a path through the thick, thorny bushes, and after a moment's thought, shook his head:
"rare."

“At least in my memory, there is only Lydia,” Zebi Ortega answered with considerable certainty.

He turned to Erin and continued, “The Ring of Maidalui may have existed long before the ancient elves, the ancestors of Ain Siddi, came to the continent’s coast in white boats and landed near the Pontal and Yaruga rivers.”

“The houses here are quite scattered. No one knows exactly how many small houses there are on the outer ring road, and no one will deliberately arrange for ‘guests’ to live in remote places.”

"So I remember it very clearly."

"It was Lydia who asked for it herself. She said she knew the druid from the Skellige Islands."

Zebi Ortega never revealed the name of the original owner of Lydia's residence.

This is quite impolite, but Erin guesses that mentor Zebi Ortega probably doesn't know the druid's name.

"Could it be to escape being hunted down by humans?"

Looking at the Archdruid, who was reminiscing about the past and had a puzzled expression, Erin suggested a possibility.

“Impossible,” Zebi Ortega shook his head. “Although the human kingdoms did indeed hate the elves back then, anywhere in the Ring of Maidalui, even the outermost edge of the outer ring, was safe.”

“Besides Lydia, many other elves from the vicinity of the Ring of Maidalui have come to seek refuge.”

“What protects them is not the remote location or terrain, but the fact that this is the Ring of Maidalui.”

Erin asked thoughtfully, "And then you agreed?"

“Of course not,” Zebi Ortega shook his head. “As you can see, this place is too remote to be suitable for long-term living for anyone other than druids—we can feed ourselves on nature’s bounty.”

"Moreover, although the beasts within the Druid's Ring have been tamed, that place can hardly be considered the outer ring anymore. In addition, Temuria had just gone through a war, and ghouls were rampant."

"Vicena and I were both against it at the time."

"But you eventually accepted it?" Erin continued.

Zebi Ortega nodded: "Yes, because Lydia was very insistent and proved to us that she was a pretty good sorceress, but actually, our concerns were justified..."

He sighed softly and parted the thick, wild branches for Erin:
"Lydia was not discovered until a druid happened to be passing by, quite some time after she disappeared."

"At that time, the room was covered with a thick layer of dust."

"We always thought Lydia had left without saying goodbye, until you suddenly mentioned it a few days ago, and that's when we found out..."

Zebi Ortega didn't say anything more and sighed softly.

Although he and Lydia were only nodding acquaintances, he was deeply moved to hear that someone he once knew had not only died a violent death, but most likely at the hands of her former lover, and whose soul was imprisoned in a golem to guard her bones and blood...

So distorted, so tragic, it evokes a complex mix of emotions.

Zebi Ortega not only met her, but may have also influenced her fate in some way.

The old druid was thinking...

If he had insisted on arranging another place for her and letting her make some druid friends, would such a tragic fate have been avoided?

But that's impossible now.

The Sword of Destiny has two blades, neither of which can turn back time.

Once the old druid had calmed down, Erin asked again, "Didn't Lydia mention Thomas Morlu, and...and her child?"

Zebi Ortega shook his head: "I don't know Lydia well. Although she stayed in the Ring of Maidalui for many years afterward, we didn't see each other much."

“If you hadn’t mentioned it a few days ago, I wouldn’t even have known she had a partner and a child…”

Just say it.

There was a long silence between Zebi Ortega and Erin.

Later, Zebi Ortega asked about Geron Molu.

Erin selected the parts she could talk about and recounted them in detail.

However, there isn't much to say.

Although his relationship with Geron Mollusk was practically one of life-or-death bond—

Erin rescued Jerón Morlü from the dungeon. Upon hearing of Erin's critical situation, Jerón Morlü disregarded the threats posed by behemoths like Ben Ade and the Risberg Civil Cooperative and resolutely came to his rescue.

This is not an easy choice to make.

—But his actual acquaintance with Geron Mollusk was only a month or two in total, and it was limited to Geron Mollusk's background...

A master witcher of the Griffin School, son of Thomas Morru, the world's first witcher to undergo a second mutation...

He knew nothing else.

But that's enough.

After listening to this, Zebi Ortega was moved by the impermanence of life.

Erin, on the other hand, was increasingly looking forward to this harvest.

Although mentor Zebi Ortega didn't reveal any valuable information, Lydia's series of strange behaviors in the Ring of Maidalui almost led Erin to conclude...

Lydia must have a secret in the Ring of Maidalui, in that remote dwelling.

Perhaps in just a few days, he will find a way to revive Gwendolyn, the Daughter of Spring, uncover the truth behind the destruction of the ancient elves by the White Frost, and discover the root of the prophecy of the Child of Miracles…

“But to be honest,” Zebi Ortega suddenly said, “there are some advantages to living in a remote place.”

“Generally speaking, residences that have not been returned to for a long time are cleaned up every once in a while.”

"As for Lydia's dwelling, due to the long lifespan of elves, and more importantly, because this place is too remote, no one would ever live there, so her belongings have been perfectly preserved here... just ahead..."

As he was saying this, they turned another corner, and Zebi Ortega, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped and exclaimed:
"Grand Master! What are you doing here?"

(End of this chapter)