The Divine Hunter Chapter 8: Return to the Temple
April 6, 1265.
The warm morning light fell on the northern suburbs of Elland City. A dusty motorcade drove along the main road leading to the temple complex. More than a dozen temples stood among the rugged boulders, reflecting the hazy sunlight. Makes it difficult to see clearly.
In the living courtyard of the temple, many priestesses in gray dresses are doing their daily morning work, watering the fields, picking vegetables, feeding chickens, and cleaning.
The priestesses are very young, most of them are fifteen or sixteen years old, and there are also children of eight or nine years old. Some of the lively girls turned their heads to look at this huge motorcade
There is an endless stream of believers coming and going from the Temple of Meriteri, but rarely do so many appear at one time.
Even when dealing with the dozen or so sturdy demon hunters, the gazes of the priestesses did not contain any worldly impurities, only simple curiosity and goodwill, which made people feel relaxed and warm.
A group of energetic boys in the motorcade were blushing. They had lived in the suburbs for a long time and rarely enjoyed the attention of so many young and beautiful ladies.
And Vicky and other girls in the motorcade smiled and nodded at the priestesses.
The bald man explained jokingly, "The Meriteli Temple has never lacked 'cute' priestesses. Every year, girls from all over the north come, and some students graduate from temple schools and go to other temples to serve as Prophet, midwife, physician who heals children and women..."
The children suddenly realized that they looked at these girls with a hint of recognition. They were all poor people who had left home since childhood.
Roy looked sad.
Letho also told him this when he first came to the Temple of Meriteri.
It was in this beautiful and fertile temple that he survived the first trial of grass and transformed into a snake sect demon hunter.
In a sense, this is where his dream began.
The peace and tranquility now has not been affected by the war and turned into dilapidated ruins in the future.
Let us change its fate and fulfill our promise to the goddess Meriteri.
"Master Leitho? Geralt?!"
A young female priest with a slim figure, a round face and a few freckles came out of the side hall of the temple. Her crystal eyes looked at the faces of a group of big men in thick cloaks who were leading horses and wearing thick cloaks at the front of the motorcade. A turn.
It fell on the most eye-catching shiny bald head, and finally turned to the face of Geralt with flowing white hair.
The weak and innocent eyes like daisies were filled with mist, and an unbearable past event came to mind.
That year, she still kept her vow of silence for the goddess.
That year, she was still a pure priestess.
"Good morning, Ms. Aurora, I haven't seen you for so many years, but you are still as charming as ever." Geralt bowed and saluted her, trying his best to keep his face calm, but the slightly trembling corners of his eyes still revealed that he was not calm. Mood.
And a pair of vertical pupils, like a cat smelling fishy smell, circled back and forth between Geralt and Aurora with great interest.
"Master Priest, stop talking..." Roy looked around at the eagerly awaiting children and broke the awkward atmosphere, "Can you let us in first? Nannick's mother should have received the news. 'Really?"
"Roy, why don't you have a long memory? How many times have you told me, don't call me mom!" A fat woman with gray hair and wearing a wide auburn skirt retorted loudly and walked out of the side hall. He looks like he is in his fifties or sixties. Every wrinkle on his face is reminiscent of a mother who works hard for the family. She is kind and approachable. Her brown eyes are like lit sacred candles, shining with warm light. "When I think about my age, I If there is such a possibility, I will be furious!"
She snorted coldly, but a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, her steps were surprisingly vigorous, and her long skirt rustled on the floor.
"Okay, Aunt Nannick, I give you my deepest respect, um—"
"That's right. Welcome, kid!"
Roy took a breath.
The well-built high priest opened his warm arms, hugged him hard, and let go.
Like a kind elder, his eyes looked pleased and he squeezed the strong muscles on his shoulders.
"The effect of the grass trial is good. In just a short time, you have transformed from a thin and small bamboo pole into a healthy and strong young man."
"Thanks to you..." Roy bowed to her sincerely, "Thanks to you for taking me in, caring for and guiding me."
Nennik raised his eyebrows and asked, "But why do you favor the goddess Meriteri? You specially sent me an oracle to entertain your 'army' of demon hunters?"
"Ahem..."
"Geralt, do you have a cold, or do you have a sore throat?" Nannick turned his head and glared at the white wolf with a smile,
The white wolf's dark cat eyes are filled with anticipation and gratitude.
Once he was seriously injured and dying, and was taken in and treated by Nannick, so he was always grateful in his heart.
"Have you lived to the age of a dog? After so many years, you still haven't made any progress. You don't know what to do with yourself, and you stink! How could those blind women fall in love with you? Don’t forget?”
Nennik scolded and disliked him fiercely, hugged him heavily, and swept his loving eyes over the faces beside the carriage,
"Tell me, what's going on? Are you bringing so many 'masters' here to convert to Meritelli?"
"And these kids?"
"Nannik, go in and talk!"
The sorceress walked out of the motorcade and held Nannick's arm intimately. One was young and beautiful, the other was old and kind. Judging from their appearance, they looked like a pair of grandparents.
"Do you remember coming to see me? Is it possible that you have been hanging out with the demon hunters these past few years, so you haven't had time to visit the temple in the past few years?"
"Absolutely."
……
Aurora hurriedly took several demon hunters to the backyard of the temple to set up horses and carriages.
And Nannik led the vast crowd into the corridor of the side hall.
The children craned their necks to look curiously.
In the open wooden doors beside the corridor, in a quiet room lit with white candles, believers were sitting praying to the statue of the goddess. They looked at poor people wearing coarse linen clothes and rich people wearing silk and mink fur.
Piety knows no class.
There are also some people who look like they are in ragged clothes. Their skinny cheeks are filled with more than ordinary sorrow, which can be described as bitter and resentful.
"Refugees from Sintra and Verden?" Roy asked.
"When the war first broke out, the temple accepted hundreds of refugees."
Nennik noticed everyone’s gaze and patiently explained,
"But now that the conflict has subsided, most of the refugees have been naturalized by Vizima... Foltest took a lot of land in this war, but most of it was destroyed by the war. Leah lacks manpower and will not refuse refugees." Nannik paused, "The emerging church in Vizima has also done a lot in recent years, arranging work and accommodation for the poor, which is very considerate."
"Church of Virtue?" Roy's mind moved, and the pretty faces of Princess Yada and Goddess Vivian appeared in front of his eyes.
" According to rumors, this church is backed by the legendary Lady of the Lake. In Vizima City, its influence in the past two years has surpassed that of the Eternal Fire, and is almost as influential as the goddess Meriteri. ." Nannick said with slight surprise, "It's just that the power is limited to the Vizima Lake area and has not expanded outward at all."
……
When passing by one of the rooms, Roy couldn't help but stop.
The bright candlelight illuminated three figures in the room. A young man wearing a scholar's robe, exuding a strong scholarly air, squinting his eyes due to myopia, was referring to a "Universal Encyclopedia" and spoke in a clear voice. Recite a passage about "Swift".
The boy with short black hair and the girl with two pigtails were sitting upright on the desk and chair under him, their ears pricked up, staring at the teacher intently, nodding from time to time, as if they heard Puppies commanded by their owners.
Wearing a temple-style gray jacket and skirt, she looks quite outstanding, with fair and delicate skin and sculpted facial features. At a glance, she looks like two dolls.
And they look so cool, they are obviously a brother and sister.
See them.
Roy instantly remembered the father who sacrificed himself for his children, Aaron, the leader of the Sea Scorpion Acrobatic Troupe.
The wolf face with tearful eyes was especially in front of me.
"Yar!"
"Who? It's class time now, we have something to talk about later!" Yael, the librarian of the Meriteri Temple, looked at this sharp-eyed, heroic, and impressively handsome demon hunter. , I really can’t recognize who he is.
"Roy, have you forgotten?"
Yar was shocked, looked up at the witcher, opened his mouth wide, and almost dropped his jaw in shock!
"Good guy, what magic medicine have you taken in the past few years? Have you developed abnormally? How did you grow so tall and handsome!"
"Although you are too old, if you are willing to take some risks, I can help you transform and survive the Green Grass Trial. Let you have more muscles, mutate into white hair, and be more lovable to Ruola. Maybe?"
Roy responded with a smile.
Yar's shoulders trembled, his glasses almost fell to the ground, and he shook his head desperately.
"Haha, I'm not kidding you. These two little guys are Ade and Aly, right?" Roy squatted in front of the boy and the girl, and couldn't help but reach out and hold their soft little hands.
The two siblings were startled by the stranger, but they no longer reacted like they had a few years ago, cooing wildly, waving their wings like a kestrel, and finding a wooden pole to hang themselves upside down like a cat hawk.
"Who is my brother?" they both asked in unison, their voices as clear as an oriole's. Their black jewel-like eyes looked at the witcher, "Brother, do you know us?"
Roy smiled without saying a word and patted their little heads happily.
Having been troubled by the curse for several years, they finally got on the right track. The siblings should no longer be reminded of that sad past.
"Okay, it's time for me to leave, Yael...guide Aly and Ade well and train them to become talents! By the way...about your crush sister Aurora, you have to be careful recently." Roy suddenly He whispered a few words into the young librarian's ear, and the latter suddenly became nervous.
……
After Roy finished greeting his acquaintances, Nannick led them to a courtyard at the innermost level of the temple. There were more than thirty empty rooms lined up under the exquisite eaves.
Each room has two wooden beds, flat with light yellow blankets, desks and chairs that are still durable for a certain period of time, an oil lamp, and floral curtains covering the wooden windows.
Through the window, you can see the busy priestess in the courtyard.
"Okay, masters and children, you will live here from today on." Nannick let go of his best friend's arm and glanced at the people around him, "You can stay as long as you like, but there are Two requirements, abide by the temple rules. Write down what you should do at what time on the schedule."
"Don't affect other believers, understand?"
"Understood!" the children responded in unison.
"How do we allocate the rooms specifically?" Nannick nodded with satisfaction and glanced at the witcher, "Arrange it yourself."
"Come on, Vicky, you are the first to choose the room," the bald man nodded towards the blonde girl with great preference,
Vicky shook her little head in embarrassment and glanced at the companions around her, but she only saw faces of affirmation and approval.
On this journey, as the housekeeper, she had to worry about everything.
But she chose one at random.
"Renee."
"Ahhh! I'm finally free! I want to live with Vicky, and I want to hold her to sleep, one day and one night! No, three days and three nights!"
Renee held her good sister's slender hand, screamed like crazy, shook her two braids, jumped like a rabbit, and rushed into the room in the center of the corridor!
"Little clever guy! Next, Conrad..."
"Oreo..."
The children who were named happily rushed into the room of their choice and slept in the wild for more than a month. Their buttocks were almost covered with cocoons, and their waists were almost broken sleeping in tents and stalls.
The witchers stood scattered in the corner of the yard.
Looking at this heartwarming scene, a happy smile appeared on the corner of my mouth. I really hope that I will have the opportunity to watch it in the future.
"Carl, Monty, Aka...final choice!"
"Why!" Akamtom jumped up three feet in the air like an enraged wild cat, trembling with anger, "This is discrimination, favoring girls over boys!"
"What is this? A badge of honor! You are the oldest and have the most seniority...you should give way to your younger brothers and sisters." Seret grabbed the pendant around Aka's neck and added.
The twelve young demon hunters with swords on their backs immediately looked at each other, and their anger turned into joy.
"Ahem, that makes sense... As the boss," Carl and the eleven friends said in unison, "I have the responsibility and obligation to take care of my younger brothers and sisters! This time, we will be a little aggrieved!"
"The consciousness is very high, it's up to you to make the biggest sacrifice!"
The cat vulture knocked him hard in the center of the head, put his arm around his shoulders and walked directly to the end of the corridor. Then he thoughtfully chose a room for the disciple next to the toilet, and a group of little tails following him whispered to each other and snickered.
"Stop laughing, now that you have chosen a room, come over here and go to the yard!" Cat Vulture suddenly had a solemn expression, and his solemn tone made everyone's hearts skip a beat.
……
"Man... are you familiar with the Church of Virtue in Vizima?" Grim quietly found Roy who was leaning under the eaves column, his eyes bright, "Is there really a lake goddess living in Lake Vizima? "
Roy did not hide it. He pulled out the Sword of the Lake Lady and straightened his right arm. The blade of the sword seemed to be integrated with the arm, stabbing into the clear sky. His elbow retracted, and the sword and the arm formed a ninety-degree right angle. , the keel material reflects the golden morning light, and his unusually calm face. "Vivian, the Lady of the Lake, gave me this sword as a reward for the Five Virtues Trial."
"Grim, there is no such thing as a feast that never ends. If you are willing, I will write you a letter... take it and go to Vizima to see Her Highness Yada, the high priest of the Church of Virtue."
Roy flicked the smooth blade and returned the sword to its sheath,
"Maybe you will have the opportunity to see the Lady of the Lake with your own eyes, not necessarily Ms. Vivian, but maybe another Lady of the Lake, and accept their five virtues trial. In addition to the Toussaint Champion Knight, Fight for the honorary title of Knight of the Lady of the Lake."
"How about, are you interested?"
Grim's eyes turned,
"You're driving me away?"
Roy shook his head and smiled,
"You are overthinking it. But we have to deal with some personal matters... You can also choose to stay in the temple and help us take care of these children."
……
"It can be seen that these children have a harmonious relationship with each other...as close as family members." Nannick stood under the eaves and asked Coral curiously, "But in my impression, the demon hunters have always believed in the competition between things. Whichever way you choose, the way you treat your apprentices is outrageous! You almost make them jump into graves and coffins!"
"Old friend, the bad habits of the past have been eliminated long ago, and demon hunters are also keeping up with the evolution of the times...setting up new rules!" Coral smiled slightly, wrapped her fingers around a bunch of red hair, and said with pride, "I want to Otherwise, how do you think so many apprentices were born in just a few years?"
"You may not believe it, but the Green Grass Trial we hosted has never failed once! There has been no character flaw in any of them. Although...although...still unable to have children."
Nannick suddenly fell silent, and after a while, the wrinkles on his face relaxed.
God is still fair, giving the demon hunters power but depriving them of fertility.
If they can reproduce normally and inherit superhuman powers. ~IndoMTL.com~Then the whole world would be in chaos.
"Okay, how long do you plan to stay this time?" Nannick rubbed his temples,
"We'll leave right away."
"You?"
"Except for those children, all the demon hunters, including me..." Coral blue eyes swept across the courtyard.
Vesemir, Lambert, Cat Vulture, Letso... gathered all the children who had selected rooms in the yard.
Talk with a straight face.
The conversation didn't seem very interesting.
The originally lively and cheerful atmosphere took a turn for the worse.
Some of Carl’s thorns even blushed and argued with them.
But without exception, they were ruthlessly suppressed.
"What's going on, you plan to return to the embrace of the goddess early? So you entrust your child to me?"
"It's not that serious."
Nannick looked at Coral's pretty face with concern, "Why do you have to hide it from me? Tell me about it? I, an old man, can help you with your advice!"
"Gee, don't be ridiculous, Nannick, your age is not as good as...well..."
Coral cautiously glanced at Roy in the distance, and seeing that he wasn't paying attention, she immediately patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Isn't this Tuogu? Have you seen those twelve demon hunter apprentices? Don't underestimate them. They will stay in the temple for a long time in the future, responsible for the personal safety of the priestess and you. They can also be regarded as completing a certain task. It’s a personal commitment. Correspondingly, you should take the time to teach them more life experiences.”
"You mean the temple is in danger? Who dares to risk the whole world's disapproval to attack Meriteri?" Nannick thought thoughtfully, so this is the reason why the goddess asked her to entertain the demon hunters in her dream. A group of hunters Demon boy guard?
"You will know the answer in the future. As for us, we must go to Maribo to collect a debt..." A cold light flashed in the blue eyes, "Well, a blood debt."