The Divine Hunter

On the afternoon of the rest day, the vast sunshine, which is rare in winter, scatters mottled silhouettes on the ground through the gaps between the lush branches and leaves of the alder forest.

This afternoon, the orphans of Gawain's House followed the Oaks brothers into the woods like a smog, and started a happy harvest time.

Each child carried a bamboo basket, hummed a melodious nursery rhyme, and hopped through the tall and short trees in search of treasures: from the bare fields, young and petite shepherd’s purse, dark green leaves and wrinkled black peas were picked. Vegetables, dig out the fresh wild onions from the cracks in the rocks.

And calendula, sage...

Occasionally, there are some surprises, such as eggs on the low branches, sweet and sour capuchin fruit... alfalfa collected for the teachers' cars Wilt, Rocky, Skopion...

The dry air smells of bark and earth.

The orphans had fun.

The two witchers were leaning against a tree on the left and the right, holding the dog's tail grass in their mouths, closing their eyes leisurely and dozing off, reminding them from time to time,

"Don't go far, little brats, don't run far..."

...

Vicky broke the iron rule set by the teacher. She secretly set off in the direction away from Gawain's house, bent over and bent her knees and buried her head in the grass, picking marigolds with all her might.

In every exam in the class, she is the first, and she completes all the tasks assigned by the teacher meticulously.

Never as naughty and playful as other children - because Vicky has no lofty ideals, her only hobby is to be recognized and praised by teachers.

In particular, I liked that the teachers touched the braided hair behind her head in front of the whole class, and praised her for her outstanding achievements in the culture class.

At times like this, Vicky's little heart jumped out of her chest with joy.

To get compliments, she picks as many important herbs as she can, ignoring berries and wild vegetables and picking only herbs.

The thick grass covered the girl's petite body.

The little girl kept walking forward... I don't know how long it took, and the movement around her became less and less. At a certain moment, when the tip of her nose was covered with crystal beads of sweat, she suddenly looked up——

She crawled into a completely strange wood,

Silently, there was not a single ghost to be seen, and the friends, Oaks, and Teacher Serrit were all left far behind.

The breeze blew through the forest, the branches, leaves and shrubs swayed rustling, and the still standing alder forest seemed to be a sealed demon, shooting piercing eyes at her from all directions.

Vicky shrugged.

He hugged the bamboo basket he was carrying in his arms, hugged it tightly, his fingertips turned white with excessive force, and his nose chirped.

"I...I'm lost? Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu?"

"Lena!"

"Renie!"

"Is anyone here?"

No one responded to her shouting.

"Calm down, calm down...Vicky!" The little girl wiped her nose and clenched her small fists in midair.

"How does the teacher usually teach? How to identify the direction in the woods?"

She quickly regained her composure.

He squatted down, opened his eyes to examine the reflection of the trees, and said to himself shiveringly,

"Afternoon, afternoon, the shadow points to the east. The orphanage is due west... yes, this way..."

"I can definitely go back, come on, Vicky!"

The little girl took a deep breath, her fair and delicate little face flashed a hint of firmness, she took small short legs, stomped small steps, controlled her breathing rhythm like running every morning, and turned into a little squirrel roaming in the woods.

However, she just ran less than 100 meters... Suddenly, "Ouch", she fell back.

Vicky covered her butt and pouted in grievance, her eyes were red and she was about to cry.

Without warning, a figure like a wall appeared in front of her.

He was at least 1.9 meters tall, twice as tall as Vicky. He was as thin as a ghoul. He was dressed in a dark cloak, which exuded the smell of sweat and urine that had not been bathed for a long time, as well as the body odor of wild animals.

He turned his back to the sun, his cheeks hidden in the darkness.

Vicky could vaguely see a long horse face, wet eyeballs with bloodshot eyes, and a thick sloppy beard.

He grinned grimly.

Darkness and grimness came upon us.

"what--"

...

"Pfft—" Oaks spat out the dog's tail grass in his mouth, patted the soil between his fingers, and a gully raised between his brows, "Serret, did you hear anything?"

"I have a bad feeling!"

"Children, move closer!"

"Everyone has it, gather now!" Serret raised his left arm abruptly and shouted, "Any one less than thirty seconds, all cancel dinner!"

"Ah! Ah! Don't think about it!"

"Come on, brothers and sisters! Don't let the teacher's conspiracy succeed!"

"Come on, little short legs! What are you dawdling at!"

Panting with horror, the orphans rushed to the two teachers and stood in front of them.

Less than twenty seconds.

The boys and girls who were messed up like a pot of porridge have already formed a neat square of four rows and five columns according to the strict training formation every morning, without a hand or a foot sticking out of the square.

But one kid ran away with his leather boots.

A bare little foot stepped on the soft grass in the woods.

People didn't have time to laugh at her.

The two pairs of amber eyes glanced roughly, and immediately found that there was a missing point in the square.

"Who's not there?" Serrit's face was gloomy, and there was fury in his tone.

"Teacher, Vicky's not here!" Monty suddenly raised his hand and shouted, most of the reserve witcher apprentices Vicky was a candidate for his future wife, and he has been keeping an eye on the little girl.

"That's Vicky's place!" said Lena, the one-footed girl, now too embarrassed.

Carl stomped his feet in a hurry, "Little Vicky got lost?"

"Never let anything happen to my future bride!"

"Teacher, give the order quickly, everyone is dispatched to find it!"

When you talk to me, children, there is a commotion, and Serrit shouted, "Little bunnies, shut up all of you, and stay where you are!"

"We are responsible for bringing her back!"

Serret gave Oaks a look.

The latter rushed to the glade where the children were playing in the blink of an eye. His eyes were as sharp as the beasts of prey, flickering in the dim light, and he looked around, and in the mid-air, interlaced colored ribbons appeared...

Represents different body odors.

Most end up in square arrays.

But there is a solitary one that disappears in the depths of the grass, in the unknown woods.

Oakes gave a loud whistle.

In an instant, an eagle with thick gray-black feathers flew down from a tree trunk not far away, landed on Oaks' shoulders, and stood still.

The sharp hook claws stepped on his leather armor like a greeting.

"Golfin, Roy emphasized that you are a smart girl, you can definitely understand me, right?"

"Cheep!"

"Follow me first, and help me track and lock the target later!"

"Chi~chi~"

Golphin flapped his wings and flew out of the woods in an instant.

Circling high into the air.

And Oaks traced the ribbon, like an electric drill into the woods!

...

"Pfft...puff..."

"Pfft...puff..."

A figure in the alder forest is traveling at high speed.

The man has long hands and long feet, and his wide and flat feet step three meters away in one step. The fallen tree trunks along the way, the rhizomes that burrowed out of the ground, and the soft and ineffective humus layer could not hinder him at all.

He was as nimble as a gibbon swinging among the branches and vines.

Wearing a black cloak as if flying.

He also held a petite body in his arms.

Her blond hair was ruffled by the wind, her little face was pale, and her star eyes were half closed.

His head was resting on the man's shoulder, and his waist was tightly bound by a chain-like arm.

During the process of being kidnapped, Vicky only had time to throw the headband on the ground and fell into a coma.

In a daze, she was choked by despair.

It took her whole life of good luck to get a warm home, and she stayed for more than a month before leaving without saying goodbye.

There is no doubt that this thin, mummified man is a personal trafficker, right?

Take me to Skellige?

Sold to an old man covered in orange peel as a wife.

woohoo...

In the haze, Vicky felt a trace of remorse.

Make a last strong wish -

"It would be nice if the teacher could praise me one more time... just once!"

...

chirp!

A goshawk descended from the sky.

A pair of sharp claws pulled across the face of the galloping figure.

The skin is open and the flesh is splattered with blood!

The man snorted and slowed down.

"boom!"

A turbulent airflow came from the darkness.

The man seemed to have been hit by a carriage, soared into the air and fell to the side.

Thick dead branches and leaves cushion him.

But he was in good hands and quickly turned to his feet.

A figure in brown leather armor jumped out of the bushes next to it, and its amber pupils were filled with icy killing intent.

The man wearing a gray cloak with a skeleton-like face still did not relax the girl in his arms, and held the hatchet at his waist with one hand.

But there was no time to make a move, and a cold hum exploded in the air.

Suddenly there are colorful fireworks flashing in front of you.

Too fast and too hasty, he lost consciousness...

"Bastard, dare to rob our child." Oakes spat at the man's face.

He reached out to probe Vicky's breathing and heartbeat again, and heaved a sigh of relief.

Press down her nose.

The little girl leaned against Oaks' arms, regained her sanity in a daze, stared at it, and immediately pouted, her blonde hair fluttered,

wow wow cry.

"Um... woo... Mr. Oaks, I'm sorry, I shouldn't run around."

"Little lady, remember to file in advance before starting your next big adventure!"

"But you're very smart!"

Vicky falls into a blissful vertigo over the compliments.

Oakes reattached the hairband she had left behind in her blond hair, and turned to the unconscious man in front of him.

Tall and lean, with skeletal cheeks and stubble stubble, and short black hair that was sticky in tufts.

The most conspicuous point is that he exudes the smell of animal urine and the breath of nature.

"Hunter? No wonder you can escape my trap."

The witcher raised his feet, and the dark soles of his thick leather boots greeted the man's cheeks!

one or two...

"If I don't kick you so much that you don't even know your mother, I won't be called Oaks!"

The cheeks were covered with clear shoe prints, the bridge of the nose was broken, and the cheeks were swollen into steamed buns.

The man convulsed in a coma.