The Divine Hunter Chapter 4: For the love of Li Ruien

The next week was uneventful.

The wagon train passed through changing wilderness, clear streams, low hills and juniper forests, but the Scoia'tael did not appear.

The apprentices of the witcher mingle with the dwarves and appear at the campfire on time every night, listening to the dwarves led by Yarpan bragging about the wonderful adventures of the past.

Why hunt a basilisk that is only a little smaller than a giant dragon, and deal with an ogre that needs to eat at least two people for every meal... In the Ad Kalai Drinking Contest, he stayed awake for two days and two nights, and defeated Skellige's sailors won the championship...

Then I got the reward of free lifetime cup refills.

Occasionally, Commissioner Wink will make a few speeches, regarding his views on the Scoia'tael, the situation in Kaedwen, etc., but most of the time he listens quietly like the witcher.

Almost every dwarf showed eloquence comparable to that of a master speaker. While stroking his beard and drinking strong wine, his loud voice spoke endlessly, as if he was giving a speech to boost morale before going to the battlefield.

Even Bernie, who stuttered, told some thrilling adventure stories.

Compared to the more pragmatic demon hunters who like to speak straightforwardly, the dwarf speakers who love to use rhetorical techniques such as exaggeration and metaphors are obviously more popular among children.

Some nights the apprentices simply slept on blankets beside the dwarves' campfire.

Sleep with them and listen to their snoring and farting.

The atmosphere between the two parties became more harmonious.

But from time to time, Roy looked at the wooden boxes filled with goods in the carriage team and the deep wheel marks, and fell into deep thought.

……

It was a gloomy day a week later, and the air was filled with a depressing atmosphere.

The convoy passed through a wild forest. The dwarves and demon hunters pulled the reins of their horses and slowed down.

Where there is no cover from the trees, ruins are exposed.

Smooth granite and cracked and rough marble blocks can be seen everywhere in the ruins. Long-term wind and rain have worn away their surface patterns. Countless winters of severe cold have cracked and shattered the stone surfaces. Tree roots have divided the stones into A few pieces.

Deeper in the waste, under the cover of dense tree shades, are scattered broken columns and white arcades, covered with green ivy and green moss.

"Where is that place?" Vicky asked the sorceress beside her curiously.

"Shayla Wade..."

"A castle?" Carlmo rubbed his smooth chin and looked at Yarpan beside him,

"No, little bastard, elves never build castles, this is a palace!" The dwarf looked at the ruins with a solemn expression, and there was both vigilance and a hint of admiration in his eyes.

"Can we go there and have a look?" Karl turned and asked the demon hunters again, dozens of pairs of eyes full of expectation.

During this deserted **** trip, they had long been tired of seeing the same plants and empty dirt roads.

This palace is a rare place of interest.

They should also learn more.

Roy looked at Commissioner Wenke questioningly.

"That place has special significance to the elves and the Scoia'tael..." Wenke retorted euphemistically, "So it's very dangerous. Everyone, it's best to leave immediately!"

"But it won't take much time just to take a look." Yarpan said helpfully.

Wenke took a deep breath, with a hint of helplessness on his cold cheek, "We will set off in half an hour, dismount and walk over. It is not convenient for horses to walk through the rocks."

"Yeah!"

The children rushed over with joy.

Roy, Coral, Geralt, Yalpen, Vesemir, Cat Vulture...the six guards followed behind, while the rest stayed behind the convoy.

"Slow down, kids, don't break things!"

They stepped on the soft fallen leaves covering the forest and walked in the direction of the ruins for about five minutes, walking up the marble stairs and then the stone path covered with moss.

Enter the ruined ruins that still retain the unique features of the ancient elves.

A group of children were wandering around, while the demon hunters were surrounding them like bodyguards.

"This palace is so beautiful!" Renee touched the intricate green leaves and vine patterns on the pillars and asked loudly, "Why would anyone want to destroy it?"

"To be precise, it was the elves who destroyed this palace themselves. Before they left." Vesemir stroked the vein patterns on the marble floor and explained patiently, "More than two hundred years ago, the elves and humans first After the complete failure of the second conflict, they began to destroy their once glorious and splendid buildings and palaces everywhere before retreating to the mountains to prevent them from being stolen by humans."

"For example, the Valley of Nine and the ruins of Etaye'e...were all destroyed."

"But there were more buildings that they didn't have time to destroy," Yarpan said with a complex look on his face, "Humans built cities on these ruins, such as Vizima, the capital of Temeria, and the North The academic center Oxenfurt, the clustered tribe Ed Guinevere at the edge of the world, Maribo, Sintra, and even the most famous free city in the north, Novigrad, are the most talked about The buildings are all the work of the elves of the past!"

"You humans..." Yarpan said with a hint of sarcasm in his admiration, "You probably put all your talents into reproducing offspring, and you are more fertile than rabbits. So now, you have won the world and brutally killed Most of the ancient races drove the elves into the wild Blue Mountains, drove most of the dwarves and gnomes into the mines of Mahakam and Tir Tosha, and drove the halflings into the desolate wilderness. Every city discriminated against There are usually gathering areas for ancient ethnic groups."

"Ahem..." Roy glared at Yarpan, "Your Excellency, please pay attention to the occasion when you speak. Are you talking about fertility with a group of demon hunters, sorceresses, and children?"

"Sorry..." Yalpan shrugged his shoulders and unceremoniously revealed his shorts, "I forgot that you are worse than us dwarves!"

The demon hunters couldn't help but look at him fiercely, while the sorceress glanced at Roy beside her. Thinking.

She knew very well that Roy had an unexpected daughter. As soon as he passed the third trial of grass, he rushed to Skellige to visit the little girl.

And I am destined to have no descendants in this life!

……

"The elves now imprisoned in the mountains, under the instigation of Nilfgaard, at least that's what most people guessed, reappeared and took revenge!"

Yarpan waved his hand domineeringly, gesturing for everyone to follow him, stepped on the rough stone slabs, and walked into the center of the palace. A deformed fountain with strangely shaped slabs and stones was divided by dense alders and white birches, like a flower. Flowers composed of forest trees and stones.

Many shallow ditches gurgled behind this flower, some forming streams on the ground, and some falling like waterfalls along the steps, washing away the leaves, gravel, and other debris remaining on the building. .

Behind this ditch, the arch made of marble and clay, half buried under the soil, is still brightly colored, as if it has only stood for three days instead of two centuries.

They lined up and ducked in...

Come to this most amazing place in the palace.

A flowerbed bordered by a relief.

Between the colorful clay particles, there grows a dense rose, full of white and beautiful flowers, with pearl-like dew glittering on the delicate petals.

The rose branches are decorated with a slanting marble relief with a delicate and noble face, a typical elf beauty.

The gold, gems and other accessories on the stone slabs have long been stolen away by thieves.

But her features are still lifelike.

"Alirien, also known as Elileena to dwarves and humans." Yalpen pointed to the beauty on the relief and explained to the curious children around him, "Two centuries ago, the elf uprising The leader among them."

This weather-beaten relief seems to have a profound magical power, and people can't help but respect it.

"After the elves were defeated by humans, King Philavandre Iron Fidar led his people to retreat into the Blue Mountains. But Alerion ignored the dissuasion and led the young people among the elves to pick up weapons and shouted With the slogan 'Die for Shayla Wade', he launched a challenge and attack on humans who were a hundred times more numerous than himself, and wanted to take back his invaded homeland." There was a hint of excitement in Yarpan's eyes, and at this moment he also transformed into a human being. As a member of an ancient race,

Although he is on the side of mankind, it does not prevent him from showing respect to the martyrs of the ancient race.

"The end was without exception, all the elves who participated in the war died."

"This is enough to prove that the actions of the Scoia'tael today will not end well."

Everyone stared silently at the beautiful face on the relief. Why does a woman have such courage and determination to die?

The Elf Scoia'tael's senses have also quietly changed.

Indiscriminate killing of innocent thugs? Or a heroic fighter to regain his homeland?

"Alirien sacrificed her life for the freedom of the ancient race. She and this dilapidated palace called Shayla Wade have become symbols of the resistance spirit of the ancient race."

"Have you seen these flowers? Do you know why they can bloom beautifully all year round in the ruins?" Yarpan said as if he was asking himself, "Because there are many elves, dwarves, and gnomes passing by. Halflings will come here to worship, pay homage to it, and take good care of it."

"So, the Scoia'tael will be here too?" Karl asked,

"So, kids...what did Wenke say before? This place is very dangerous." Yarpan looked around with a warning look on his face, "The half hour promised has arrived, it's time to listen I’ve finished listening to my story, and leave quickly!”

The dwarf turned the ax in his hand and strode back.

"Vesemir, Roy, Geralt, Coral." Monty followed stiffly, looking back in confusion, "Are the Scoia'tael really bad guys who kill innocent people indiscriminately?"

Not just him, many children had a look of confusion on their faces.

Ai Liren...Shayla Wade, a heroic epic that can sing and cry.

The Scoia'tael's actions of murder and arson in Nuo City, and their atrocities in the north seem to have a tenable reason to avenge the humans who took away their homeland!

The witcher and the sorceress were silent for a moment.

"So the principle of neutrality is very important, because by remaining neutral, there is no need to fight between humans and ancient races." Vesemir looked at the slightly dazed children, shook his head, and exchanged a look with Geralt , "The hatred between them has been going on for a long time and is quite complicated. It's hard to say who is right and who is wrong."

"But now..." The cat vulture's gray-green pupils revealed a cold light, patted the disciple's head, looked at the carriage team in the woods, and said resolutely, "No matter the Scoia'tael, or humans, no matter what the reason is, Reason, if you dare to take action against us or our families, you must die!"

"Don't think so much," Coral touched the heads of a group of little girls and said some wise words, "Just remember one thing, no matter what the big truth, your own life is not important! When it's time to take action, don't do anything. Show mercy."

While talking, everyone followed the dwarf and left Shayla Wade.

"Everyone," Roy looked up at the gloomy dim sky and the convoy in the vast wilderness, and suddenly said with a serious expression, "I have a bad feeling, my back is freezing."

"Be careful tonight."

……

In a clump of boxwood trees far away from Shaila Wade.

A sparrowhawk with black feathers flapped its wings and landed on the shoulder of a petite elf girl, chirping a few times.

This girl was dressed like a bard, but she had a colorful cloth scarf around her waist that hung down to her knees. She tilted her head and listened carefully to the song of the sparrow hawk, and suddenly her expression changed drastically.

"Eveline, Kensafa, Vasily, and Karu said that a group of people entered Shaila Wade!" Two thin braids as black as ink swayed on her shoulders, "You said they wanted to What are you doing? Destroying the sacred relics of Alerion?"

"How many people are there?" An elf beauty with black-red hair, light yellow leather armor, long boots, slim figure and slender legs was lying in the grass, her fair and pretty face tightened,

"A convoy of about a hundred 'apemen'...including human soldiers, dwarves, a group of children, and..."

"Who else is there?" The male elf who had been eating turnips greedily, with impatience on his thin cheeks, asked in a voice as hoarse as a rasp, "Toruvel, do you have a cold and a sore throat? ?Stop hesitating for me!"

"There are also hateful mutants, more than twenty!"

"What? Did you hear that correctly?"

A group of elves in the grass couldn't help but hold their breath, and a trace of fear appeared on their faces, followed by gnashing of teeth in hatred.

They will never forget their compatriots who died in Nuocheng.

However, the female elf with black and red hair pursed her lips lightly, and the light of memories flashed in her big soft eyes.

"Eveline, what do you think we should do?" Toluvel looked nervously at her colleagues hidden in the grass behind her, "We only have two hundred brothers... I feel like this battle is unwinnable!"

"If you can't beat them, let them go?" Kensafa shook his head with a stern face, "They slandered the relief of Alirien in front of everyone. If we do nothing, we will be the eternal sinners of the elves!"

"Such a convoy carries a lot of goods. If it reaches its destination successfully and supports the Kaedwen soldiers, we don't know how many compatriots will suffer! We must not let them go!"

"We just fought with the soldiers at the bridgehead a week ago, and we still need to rest." Evelin shook her head, looking hesitant, "And there was something very wrong with that convoy, there was a group of children."

"Will humans be merciful to our children?" Kensafa's face became more violent. "How many children died in battles, and were even humiliated after death and hung out in public in the square! Evelin, you You can’t always be merciful!”

"I support Kensafa! Demon hunters are very powerful," Vasily, a middle-aged female elf with long eyelashes and unusually pale skin, shook her head and said in a questioning tone, "The bard said so, the dwarves of Nuo City That’s what the Eternal Fire Guards said, but have we seen it with our own eyes?”

There are many rings of leather straps wrapped around her neck, with golden birch strips strung on them. Next to her lies a birch stick with intricate patterns, shining with magical light.

"That's because all the guys who offended the witcher are dead. ~IndoMTL.com~ Toruvel whispered.

"You have to know that humans and some dwarf brothers have this inherent bad nature. They like to exaggerate everything and exaggerate it." The elf mage ignored her suggestion and said with determination,

"Maybe it's actually the opposite. They exaggerate the combat effectiveness of the witchers to cover up their own incompetence. Our number is ten times that of the witchers and twice that of this mixed convoy."

"Our compatriots are the most elite warriors. We are secretly seizing the opportunity. If they don't react, they will be dead!"

The lawn behind the four Scoia'tael leaders began to squirm.

Pairs of pupils glowing with blood were revealed under the grass and shrubs.

Two hundred Scoia'tael, wearing emerald green cloaks woven from tree bark and grass, with green camouflage paint on their faces to outline vertical and horizontal diagonal poles to avoid reflection on the skin...

It almost blends in with its surroundings.

Not only elves, but also bushy-bearded dwarves and petite halflings with baby faces.

"Give me the order, Aveline. Follow this convoy, wait until night, in the dead of night, when they are asleep, and catch them off guard! For the sake of Alireen, for our fallen compatriots, for Shayla Wade !"

"For Shayla Wade!"

A uniform whisper sounded from the grass.

Kansafa took a vicious bite of the carrot, with a cold light flashing in his eyes.

Toruvel held the wooden bow tightly and fell into deep thought.

Everin said nothing, with worry on her face.

A group of witchers.

Will there be him?

No, it can't be such a coincidence!

Moreover, she must never betray her compatriots who have experienced life and death.

She could only take a deep breath to console herself and nod.