The Divine Hunter

Roy rowed in the ice for three days and arrived at Indalsfair, the easternmost island of the archipelago.

It is the smallest of the seven islands in the Skellige Archipelago - a patchwork of rural villages and towns, a ring of shrubs and woods.

But this three-inch land is also the birthplace of islander culture. Freya's altar can be seen everywhere. There is a beautiful temple in the center of the island, located at the height of the long stairs, and the walls are covered with green moss, brown creeper, gray-brown ivy. On the eaves stood an owl dozing, perhaps a sacred animal called by the goddess.

A sacred garden surrounds the temple, with flowers blooming all year round and a few saplings beautifully trimmed.

Under the bright sunshine and the sound of birds chirping, young priestesses in white robes feed chickens, farm, communicate with believers or tourists in the small bridge and flowing water and in the flowery courtyard, accompanied by several local tour guides.

Thousands of miles away, Keville and the Freya believers of Povis have reached a long-term cooperation agreement with the priestesses on the island. The priestesses provide Indalfair Island to the people of Keville and Povis at a reasonable price. travel package.

And Roy realized that at this point in time, Mokwag, the notorious and most ferocious pirate in the later archipelago, had not yet come to the island to destroy the temple, kill the priests, and then be cursed, put on a wolf's skin, and fall into starvation purgatory forever. .

Everything is nice and quiet.

But that wasn't his destination.

He left the temple and quickly came to the village of Lovteng to the north. Triss had told him that the Archmage Altolan, who had connections with Idalan, lived in the village.

Surrounded by wooden fences, there are more than 30 simple wooden houses in the village. In the morning, most of the men are still fishing at sea. In the yard, only women in aprons can be seen drying fish and washing clothes in wooden tubs. On the bronze arms under the sleeves, the muscles are comparable to those of men.

The old man lay on a wicker chair lazily basking in the sun.

The runny-nosed child hopped around in circles with the dog.

The villagers in the radish field outside the village noticed the witcher, but they had long been taken aback by the multitude of tourists.

"God bless Freya! Good morning, do you need a tour guide?" While Roy was still observing the village, a young man with a fiery red fox fur around his neck walked up to him, with a green beard. With a warm smile on his face, "I will give you the best price, and take you to explore the island's excellent scenery, visit temples, pray to the supreme Freya, and taste local specialties. It only takes 2 a day. Crown.

"

The witcher glanced at him, his eyes under the sunglasses flashed thoughtful, Triss didn't know Altolan's pseudonym, he could only find a way to find it by himself.

"Then how about starting from Luofuteng Village? How about introducing me to the villagers from house to house?"

A look of surprise appeared in the young man's eyes.

"To be honest, I'm Linus Pitt, a professor of social relations and environmental biology from Cowburg," the witcher said with a nonsense smile, "I'm very interested in the archipelago's culture, customs, and family structure. interested."

"Professor at Ossenfurt University?" The young man's face was startled first. This guy was dressed in a black cloak, mysterious, more like a mercenary...a fart relationship with a cultural person.

"The topic I am currently researching is - the relationship between family structure, dietary habits, and the number of rare animals bluefin tuna in the Skellige Islands... I have now completed the investigation of Udvik Island, and the Todalocqu family blacksmiths. After in-depth exchanges, the situation is not optimistic.”

"Stop!" There was a dizziness in the young man's eyes, as if a lot of mysterious spells were forcibly stuffed into his mind, and he was instantly convinced, "It's up to you, Professor Linus Pitt! Two crowns, I will show you around India. Dallesfair Island!"

...

"Cough," the tour guide Clotte cleared his throat and pointed to a wooden house with two trees in the courtyard on his left hand. "This is the most respected lord of our Luofuteng Village, the chief priest of Goddess Freya, Ufa. Home... The chief priest devoted his whole life to the goddess, never married and had children, and prayed for the people of Indalsfair day and night. His deeds are admirable and admirable."

Roy glanced at several white priest clothes hanging on the ropes in the yard.

"Everyone in the archipelago respects Goddess Freya?"

Clotte glanced at "Linus Pitt" strangely after hearing the words, the dignified professor, who actually asked such a mentally retarded question, but kept a smile on his face,

"Of course, Your Excellency, when Otkel, the ancestor of the Skellige people, arrived in the Islands, he encountered a storm and nearly died at sea. Fortunately, the merciful goddess gave a wind pipe and let him blow the wind pipe to calm the storm. Ou Only then could Turkel land on the island under our feet unharmed, and thrive...then the Skellige people... Since then, my compatriots have begun to believe in the goddess Freya..."

The respect in Clotte's brown eyes turned to scorn,

"If you disrespect the goddess, you will betray your ancestors. Can you still be called a human being?"

The witcher smiled and asked,

"How did I hear that Skellige's fleet often raided other gods' temples of abundance, such as Meritelli, Owen the Father of the Sky..."

Clotte grinned and showed his white teeth, and said rightly, "Robbery is the tradition of Skellige, and we only respect Freya, other so-called gods have no meaning to us!"

"What if the islanders offended Freya?"

"Then he will be spurned and hated by all his fellow citizens, and the curse of life as death will accompany him for the rest of his life!"

...

"This is the home of Uncle Mansour, a blacksmith in Luofuteng Village..."

"How does it compare to todalotrope?"

"You look down on him too much. Todaloqu is the pride of Skellige, and Uncle Mansour, huh, I'm not belittling him, at most help us fishermen sharpen harpoons, repair fishing nets, and make some hoes and iron basins ."

...

"This is the home of Uncle Mijiti, whose mother-in-law is amazing, and gave birth to quintuplets for him. In recognition of her contribution to Indalsfair, our lord, Donna Ann Sinda, Provide her with food and clothing for months until all five children are adults."

Clot looked at the little guy in the yard who was wearing open-crotch pants and playing on the mud pile. Envy flashed in his eyes, then he hammered his right hand on the chest and gave a salute to the center of the yard, "Unfortunately, Uncle Mijiti came with him a few months ago. Together with Lord Kratz, he supported Sintra's brother and resisted the invasion of the Nilfgaardian Black Armor, but he never returned. Even the bones were ruined by Nilfgaardian beasts."

Clotte said with a solemn expression,

"But his soul must have been thrown into Freya's arms."

Roy only then remembered that in the battle of Sintra, Skellige carried dozens of dragon boats to support him, but also suffered heavy casualties, and less than one tenth of the people returned. But during this time, he did not feel too much sadness from the islanders.

Perhaps for the islanders, death in battle is not a sad thing.

Similar to the Nords of Skyrim.

...

"This house..." Clotte walked to the east of the existence, outside a slightly dilapidated wooden house, the yard outside was overgrown with weeds, the walls were covered with crystal cobwebs, the walls were cracked, and it was obvious that it had been uninhabited for a long time.

"Altolan used to live in this house."

"What did you say?" The witcher's pupils narrowed.

"Altolan."

"Tsk tsk," Roy sighed inwardly, how arrogant that archmage must be, living in seclusion in the countryside, he didn't even bother to change his name.

But on second thought, it was right. How could the honest fishermen and peasants recognize his true identity?

"Can you tell me what Altolan looks like and what is his personality?" The witcher walked into the dilapidated hut. The ceiling and beams were full of dust, and the surroundings were empty, with only a few worm-eaten items left. There are no cabinets, no pots and pans, and it is almost like the four walls of a home.

"Mr. Linus knows him?"

"I have an acquaintance with the same name as him." Roy looked nostalgic in his pupils, "so I'm a little curious."

"Altolan looked in his forties... blond, dark-eyed, mature and handsome," recalled Clotte, stroking the rough, mossy walls with his thin palms, "about six-foot-two, well-proportioned. , Kuai was dressed in a plain grey robe. He had a fine beard on his upper and lower lips."

Roy nodded, which was consistent with Triss' description.

"The first time I saw him, I felt that he was different from other people. He didn't look like a native of the Skellige people in his dress, temperament, and behavior. He was more like a cultural person." Te's tone froze, his eyes glowing with brilliance.

"Is he really your friend? A friend of Professor Osenfurt's?"

"His Excellency Altolan is very talented. He once gave a unique lecture on biology at the University of Oxburgh, which I still remember freshly."

"From what you said, he's still a big man!" Clotte seemed to have solved some kind of puzzle, and slammed his fist, his face was cheered, "No wonder he usually has such a arrogant and indifferent attitude, it turns out that he is with us A group of country folks have nothing in common."

"His temper is weird?" Roy crouched down in a corner, and in the witcher's senses, except for the infestation of mice, cockroaches, and other small animals and insects, there was nothing unusual.

He couldn't help but worry, if Ortolan had left the village, wouldn't the clues be broken here?

"Uncle Ortolan lived in the village for less than a year in total, and spoke to everyone only a handful of times. For a long time, he either stayed in the house or went out and came home very late. No one knows what he did during the day."

Roy's heart moved, went out? Will there be his secret laboratory on the island?

"Do you know where he went? Or where is he most likely to go? Who knows his whereabouts?" Roy patted the sand on his hands and looked at the young man with an irresistible magic.

"I'm disappointed, Altolan left home on a sunny morning and never came back. It's been a year or two since he's been missing." Clotte shook his head and sighed, "Not even Left a few words with his wife."

In Triss' description, Altolan lived for more than 300 years, but he was indifferent and used to being alone, and devoted his life to magic transformation experiments. He was an out-and-out research madman.

This sudden addition of a wife was a surprise to the witcher.

"Where's his wife?"

"Living in a red house at the other end of the village, it's called Ava..." Clotte said with gossip eyes, "Shortly after her husband disappeared, the lonely Ava remarried to Fahd, a fisherman from Lofteng Village. Almost a year."

Roy's eyes turned, this woman dared to put a cuckold on an archmage, not afraid of being smashed into pieces by the fireball?

"Is Ava a local?"

"Skelliger, I heard that he was born on the island of Great Skelliger and was brought here by Altolan to settle."

"How is their relationship as husband and wife?"

"Your Excellency Linus, take the liberty to ask, what's the purpose of your question?" The young man was a little confused, whether the professor was here to travel, or to investigate the household registration.

"Haha, just curious, what kind of woman this acquaintance will find."

"Ms. Ava is a rare beauty..." Clotte said with admiration. "She is tall and has beautiful features... Although she also comes from the country, she is not as rustic as other girls. It's a pity that Ortolan does not Knows how to cherish... Everyone in the village knows that his attitude towards his wife is quite indifferent."

Roy sighed, an ominous feeling rose in his heart.

"Archmage, don't just find someone to marry on a whim, and say goodbye when you get tired of it."

But aren't those long-lived people with chaotic private lives all in this style?

Pursue freshness.

Next, the witcher searched the dilapidated house inside and out, and confirmed that there were no secret doors or basements.

Follow Clotte to find Ava.

...

A blond woman stood by the threshold outside the red house, her hair neatly tied behind her head, and a rough fur coat could not hide her charming body.

At the age of 20, the skin is delicate and smooth, the nose is small, the eyebrows are full of lips, the cheeks have a happy smile poured out by a happy life, and the voice is clear and pleasant.

A beauty mole on the corner of the mouth adds a touch of charming charm to the pure.

Even the witcher, who was used to seeing beautiful women, couldn't help but take a second glance.

The guardian blessed the observation skills to confirm that she was just an ordinary person.

"This is Professor Linus Pitt... from—"

"Osenfurt." Roy smiled and stretched out his hand to the woman, who was stunned for a moment, and was instantly intimidated by his black cloak and big sunglasses, he couldn't help but stretch out his fingertips and give him a light shake, "Ai Madam Wa, I'll keep it short."

"I'm close friends with your ex-husband Ortolan, and I want to ask you something. If it's convenient, can we talk in the yard?"

"What Altolan, I don't know!" The woman smiled and denied it, but the witcher clearly noticed that a very complicated look flashed in her eyes for a moment.

The woman wants to close the oak door.

However, Roy took the lead to press his thigh against the crack of the door, and at the same time his body blocked Clotte's sight behind him, and his left hand concealed a cyan inverted triangle spell in front of the woman.

"Don't be nervous, ma'am, I just want to have a friendly talk with you. No matter if there are any clues, I'll leave after the talk..."

"Then... you come in," the woman's eyes were dull, she turned and walked into the house, the witcher followed closely behind, but locked Clotte out of the door with a bewildered face.

The young tour guide smiled wryly and acted as a gatekeeper.

...

The interior of the house is simple but clean, except for a shark skull specimen, a bearskin rug, and not many decorations. Most of the corners are neatly stacked with daily necessities, and the layout is quite warm.

"Why were you in such a hurry to deny that he left you with some bad memories?" the witcher asked, rubbing the bench under his hips.

"That's right," the woman across from the sofa, emotionally aroused by the French seal, her cheeks stained with an angry red glow, "I don't want to have anything to do with this disgusting heartless man, no matter how rich he is!"

"Has he told you about his identity and occupation?"

"He's not a businessman? He did business in Long Essett when he was young, saved a lot of money, and retired early for retirement." Ava said with certainty.

Roy shook his head.

No, no, he was a famous mage who helped Arzu in the research of the witcher in the fortress of Lisberg.

Poor woman who doesn't know the truth.

"Then where did he go, I'll find out the clues, so I won't bother you anymore."

"Altolan disappeared a year ago without leaving a message!" The woman stirred the fish stew boiled in an iron pot on the bonfire in the center of the hall vigorously, her arms trembled in anger, and then sat down On the sofa opposite the witcher, he held his chin with his hands folded, as if he had figured out something, and then heaved a sigh of relief, "Just left so quietly and never came back!"

"Before he disappeared, was there anything unusual?"

The woman was silent for a moment, a struggle flashed in her bright eyes,

"As always hurts me and breaks my heart."

"more specific?"

The woman was silent, this question obviously touched her bottom line, and Axie couldn't let her speak.

"In addition to your home, does he often go to a certain place?" Roy changed the question.

Since there are no obvious traces of magic left in the abandoned house, there must be another secret laboratory in Altolan on the island.

"I often leave Luofuteng Village to hang out in the wild, maybe somewhere else." The woman shook her head helplessly.

The witcher patted his forehead in distress. Maybe he was going to search the whole island. "So let's start from the beginning... How did you meet him?"

Maybe she can find some clues in her statement.

"It was two years ago, on the island of Great Skellige, on a sunny afternoon, I was on a fishing boat to collect the net, the net was so heavy that it hurt my fingers, and the net caught a lot of good things. My body is very low on the side of the boat... No one expected that a wave would suddenly come and shoot me into the sea."

"I fainted, and even dreamed of sinking to the bottom of the sea, and my body was eaten into a skeleton by fish." The woman's face showed a hint of fear, and she clenched her slender hands, her knuckles turning white.

"At that time, no accident, I should have returned to Freya's arms... But when I woke up from vomiting on the shore of the reef, he, Ortolan, appeared like a knight who saved the wounded. In front of me, he gave me a gentle smile. He helped my weak body, put on a thick and warm coat for me, and sent me home thoughtfully."

There was light in the woman's eyes, like a young girl in love who was describing the stalwart figure of her dream lover, but the light came from Axifayin's excavation of memory, and was soon suppressed by her own rebellious emotions.

"Later, it was very simple. I started dating my savior. Although he looked quite old, and he was honest with people and spoke indifferently. But he was very generous and often bought for me and my family. Gift, and secondly, I can feel his sincerity, he should have loved me at that time."

That's right, Roy said in his heart, this is the love of warlocks, love the new and hate the old.

Except for corals.

"I got married less than half a month after getting along with him," Ava said. "After we got married, he thought Big Skelliger was too noisy, so he took me to the more remote Indalsfair. Island, and settled down together in the village of Luo Futeng."

"The first four months we lived happily... We were tired of being together all day... I could feel the love in his eyes, he almost obeyed me."

Roy raised his eyebrows. This is not in line with the style of an older research madman. Why did he suddenly become a love brain.

"He's been with you all the time, hasn't he disappeared occasionally for a few days?"

"We spent most of our honeymoon in bed!"

Roy's mouth twitched, this archmage is really old and strong.

"But the time of happiness is short." The look in the woman's bright eyes dimmed, "Maybe men are so fond of the new and dislike the old... Four months later, he began to disappear for no reason. At first he left for two days a week, and then he became Three days a week...and later, one day a week..."

"I've always wanted to have a good chat with him and tell him about my worries... But he always has no time and can't see anyone!" The woman complained with a livid face, a look of dissatisfaction!

"Can you understand that feeling, Mr. Linus?"

Roy simply shook his head.

She tilted her head and babbled, sending out a series of questions, "Four months after the wedding, he let me stay in the empty room alone... When I was lying on the double bed alone, I couldn't help but wonder, where did he go? Why? Won't you explain it to me? Why didn't you give back my concern - did he not love me?"

"The more I think about it, the more lonely, lonely, and cold I feel, and I feel so uncomfortable that I want to vomit blood!"

She took a deep breath, pain flashed in her eyes,

"I started having insomnia all night long, or had nightmares... I dreamed of all kinds of terrifying scenes. I was scared to death. I wanted to find someone to tell me, but he was not at home."

"Later he finally came back. I thought he would change. It turned out that I thought too much, and he tortured me even more."

When the woman said this, she took a deep breath, and a hint of despair appeared in her blue eyes.

"He started fooling around with other women!"

Roy sighed.

How could Altolan have the heart to hurt such a beautiful woman who was infatuated with him.

But when I thought of the name in the diary of Algnon killed by Spike, I was relieved.

The ruthless Ortolan, really apt!

"Who is that woman?" He interrupted the woman's self-report as gently as possible.

"I don't know, and I haven't seen it with my own eyes, but a countryman in the village, Edge, who works in the northern port, saw with his own eyes that he took the beautiful girl off the tourist boat from Ron Essette, and more than once . He betrayed me!"

Roy took it to heart, so he had to contact this Edge and find the girl.

"I took the opportunity to question him, and he acquiesced. I asked for an explanation, but he just smiled at me!"

"Haha, this is what I've been thinking about, the man I love the most, betrays me again and again!"

"My heart was tormented, I couldn't stand his infidelity, so I once chose to commit suicide!"

She lifted the sleeve of her left hand, revealing her white wrist and an ugly cut on it.

The witcher's heart skipped a beat, this woman used to be a lover.

"And then he did an even more egregious act to me."

"This made me see through him and give up completely!" The woman let out a long sigh, looked out the window, the flowers were blooming on the roadside, her voice choked, "His disappearance is a gift from God Freya to me! I finally recovered from the nightmare. , to be relieved from suffering and pain, my current husband is honest, considerate, and treats me well.”

"I'm very happy!"

Her eyes were flushed, and there was a hint of sparkle, and she covered her face and sobbed.

At the other end of the hall, in the stroller against the window, there was also the cry of the boy, who seemed to be sad for his mother.

Roy understood and shook his head. Altolan hurt this woman deeply.

"Okay… ma'am, you need quiet and rest. I'll come back next time."

The witcher put ten crowns in her hand, pushed the door, and left.

The warm sun outside the house dispelled the haze that was pressing on his heart.

First, go to Edge to find out the whereabouts of several prostitutes who have been in contact with Altolan.

"Mr. Linus, why did I hear the woman's cry?" Clotte stared at the witcher's face.

"Ms. Ava was really heartbroken by Altolan, and recalling the past will inevitably have some mood swings... Now, take me to meet Aggie."

"You mean the guard who works in the northern port."

"It's him! Lead the way!"