Chapter 167 - Settling in at Kaer Morhen.
Third Person POV
Northern kingdoms.
...
...
They continued to be stared at by Vesemir and Eskel for a few seconds, their faces contorted with disbelief at what they had just heard. Eskel, unable to comprehend how this boy could make such a claim, was baffled. Did this kid think dealing with vampires was like strolling through a village? Surely, the boy couldn't have encountered such a creature to make such a statement, given how difficult they were to handle.
However, Eskel said nothing and looked directly at Vesemir, waiting for him to steer the conversation after asking the boy strange questions, like whether he was truly human.
"I heard Geralt found you in the middle of the forest killing some monsters when you were about six years old. Is that correct?" Vesemir asked Madara cautiously.
Eskel seemed stunned by this information. Despite finding it hard to believe that a child had been killing monsters, he stayed silent.
"It's true. We met by chance while I was hunting a ghoul nest," Madara said.
"..."
Clearly, Vesemir wanted to verify the accuracy of this information. He remained cautious. What kind of child kills monsters at six years old? After all, children that age couldn't even survive the Trial of the Grasses, and even if one miraculously passed such an ordeal, they wouldn't be defeating monsters without years of training.
"You need to answer one more question, and I want you to be honest," Vesemir said, focusing on Madara again.
"Are you really human? What are you if you possess such strength?" he asked.
"You want honesty? I am more powerful than all of you combined, even if you included the two witchers in the castle and Geralt," Madara responded calmly, pausing to glance at both Vesemir and Eskel before continuing. "But at the same time, I am human. I just use a type of energy that I was born with—different from the chaos you manipulate. You could say this energy is extraterrestrial. I can strengthen my body and perform magic you are unfamiliar with, but I am still a normal human and have the same physiological needs as you. Also, I'm not as stiff as you witchers," Madara concluded calmly.
"Are you a threat to us?" Vesemir pressed with one final question, having absorbed everything but refraining from disbelieving or denying it outright, even if it seemed improper. After all, he didn't know how far Madara had progressed in warfare.
"I am not. All we want is a place to stay for a while. We need to regain our strength, and the North is probably looking for us," Madara said while Ciri listened attentively, paying close attention to the witchers.
Vesemir looked silently for a few more seconds, glancing at the letter one last time before nodding.
"Very well. I'll allow you to stay at Kaer Morhen until Geralt arrives, but I'm not guaranteeing anything after that. Furthermore, I hope you've told the truth, because if you are a threat, we will treat you as such. Are we clear?" Vesemir said in a stern tone.
Ciri immediately began to protest upon hearing this, but Madara's hand stopped her, preventing her from saying anything.
"That's fine. We won't be a threat to you," he said as Vesemir nodded in conclusion.
Ignoring Eskel's skeptical gaze, Vesemir turned around.
"Follow me," he instructed and began walking toward the open castle entrance, with Eskel following him.
Madara glanced at Ciri, nodding slightly. They then followed the two witchers inside.
"You're finally here! I was about to come looking for you to see if you managed to get that herb, Eskel… Hm?!"
Lambert appeared at that moment in the entryway, spotting Vesemir and Eskel walking in. But he stopped in his tracks when he saw a pair entering the hallway behind them, his eyes narrowing with curiosity.
"Where did these two brats come from?" he asked openly, scrutinizing them.
Vesemir just sighed, as the strange premonitions he'd had about this day were proving true. He turned to Lambert.
"These two are friends of Geralt. They'll be staying in the castle until Geralt arrives," he informed him.
"What? But where did these two teenagers come from, and what do you mean by 'waiting for Geralt to arrive'?" Lambert asked, his personality as difficult as ever.
He even glanced at Eskel for answers, knowing Vesemir could be full of cryptic words. Eskel simply shook his head at Lambert, equally puzzled by the situation.
Madara stared at Lambert for a moment, his expression calm despite Lambert's scowling face. However, Madara's gaze soon shifted to the entryway, surrounded by walls that seemed to section off the area before the castle itself. It was clear that they trained there, with some training dummies on display and devices likely used to hone their skills and reflexes.
'So, this is a Witcher school...' Madara mused, his eyes filled with interest as he looked beyond the somewhat ruined castle, aware of the war that had ravaged the place decades ago.
"So they're really staying... Since when did we become babysitters, Vesemir?" Lambert broke the silence again with his usual sarcastic tone. Ciri bristled at his words, visibly on edge, while Madara remained calm, already familiar with this man's personality. Despite Lambert's sharp tongue, Madara knew he wasn't a bad person at heart.
"Yes... now stop complaining," Vesemir said curtly, continuing forward with Eskel. Lambert stayed behind, watching Vesemir walk off. He glanced at the two teenagers again, looking slightly bewildered.
"Fine... what a pain," he muttered after a moment, then followed Vesemir, casting one last look over his shoulder at the pair trailing them.
"I hope you don't bother us. I have no patience for kids, so don't ask me for anything. And don't expect free meals—you'll have to work if you want to eat," he said bluntly to the two.
"I think that speech should've come from Vesemir, Lambert..." Eskel commented, feeling that his companion was being a bit too harsh.
"I know, but I'm making it clear now so they understand. After all, we're still a Witcher school, not an orphanage," Lambert grumbled, while Ciri continued to look offended. Madara, on the other hand, didn't seem to care.
They circled the rest of the courtyard, approaching the castle's entrance after passing several structures. Inside, a large hall came into view, filled with books and cauldrons. The light from the torches illuminated the dimly lit space.
Someone was there, busy with what seemed to be preparing food—a type of stew—when his attention shifted to the group of three Witchers and the two teenagers following them. Coën looked up, visibly surprised, his questioning gaze settling on Vesemir.
"These two will be staying with us until Geralt arrives," Vesemir explained, while Coën studied the pair without the judgmental look Lambert had.
"Besides, they didn't bring anything with them... I don't think we have clothes for children," Lambert remarked.
"You don't need to worry about that. We have our own way of getting what we need," Madara replied dryly, addressing Lambert directly for the first time. His tone was calm yet cold, which made Lambert raise an eyebrow at him.
"The brat's arrogant, too," Lambert muttered, catching the tone in Madara's voice, as if he were speaking to someone beneath him.
"Let's save the chatter for later. For now, I'm going to pick out a room for the two of them," Vesemir intervened, stopping Lambert before he could escalate things. Already, Vesemir had a sense of how Madara responded to others, and he was certain it would drive the talkative Witcher mad.
"Follow me," Vesemir instructed again, and the two began to follow him up a staircase to the castle's upper floors.
With Vesemir and the children disappearing upstairs, Lambert wasted no time questioning Eskel. "What the hell is going on here? How did those brats end up here?" he asked, still baffled.
"They just showed up," Eskel replied with a sigh, while Coën looked equally intrigued by the unfolding situation.
"How did they just appear out of nowhere? Kaer Morhen isn't a place two kids can find without crossing forests full of either wild animals or wandering monsters. It's no wonder there are no hunters in this area, and we live here peacefully..." Lambert said.
"I know... but I didn't see them arrive. Besides... Vesemir talked to them before letting them stay here, and the conversation was very strange. Vesemir seems to be afraid of the boy," Eskel replied.
"You can't be serious... The old man is afraid of a child?" Lambert asked again, his tone skeptical.
"I'm telling you... the boy seems to be someone special, despite claiming he's human. And as for the girl, she's none other than the heir to Cintra," Eskel said.
Lambert looked even more stunned. He found the first part to be nonsense, but the second left him genuinely shocked, fully aware of its implications.
"The old man wants to drag us into the chaos of the war between the realms or something like that? He's the one who's always avoided getting involved. Is he losing his mind?" Lambert commented, even Coën appearing at a loss for words while Eskel seemed equally bewildered.
Eventually, Vesemir showed the two their room, though it didn't even have a proper bed.
"We'll have to fetch some straw for you to use as bedding. We've got some downstairs," Vesemir said.
But Madara shook his head. "Don't worry about that. We've brought our own beds, along with our clothes. We won't bother you beyond staying in the castle. I can even get our own food if necessary," he said calmly, pulling a scroll from his waist.
Vesemir lingered, curious about what the boy was about to do and what he meant by his statement. Madara, however, had no issue letting him watch. After all, while staying here, Vesemir would inevitably witness many of his chakra-based abilities. Ciri, too, looked intently at the old Witcher's face, curious about his reaction to Madara's skills.
Madara opened the scroll, made a series of hand signs, and then pressed his palm against the Japanese symbols on the paper. In the next moment, a puff of smoke exploded, and Vesemir widened his eyes, both cautious and surprised, as the smoke cleared to reveal a luxurious bed.
Ciri giggled softly, while Vesemir stared, mouth slightly agape, having never seen anything like it. Ignoring Ciri's laughter, Vesemir turned his gaze back to Madara, who was pulling more items from the scroll. Moments later, two luxurious beds, wardrobes, and even some furniture fit for a lady's grooming were arranged in the room. The sight reminded Vesemir of how Yennefer used to bring such things to Kaer Morhen when she stayed with Geralt—before their chaotic relationship inevitably ended in a fight.
"Well, I'll leave you to settle in..." Vesemir finally said, departing and heading back down the stairs.
"You seem to have scared them... Are we going to be okay? That other one talks too much..." Ciri murmured, still laughing softly.
"Yes, this is the best place for us to stay while we get stronger. Of course, there's no guarantee Vesemir will let us remain here, but we'll stay until he decides," Madara said, finishing the task of organizing everything in the room, which included a window with a view.
The other Witchers noticed Vesemir returning, his expression still somewhat surprised.
"Something wrong, Vesemir? Are they settled in? Do they need straw and hay to use as a bed?" Coën asked, curious.
"They don't need it... They don't need anything," Vesemir replied simply, as they prepared lunch for the day while the Witchers set about cleaning the deer outside the castle.
Raccoon Here:
I wanted to create an introduction chapter about how the Witchers would react. Lambert is kind of an idiot, but I think that's true to his character—not that he's bad. As for Eskel, he won't be that abomination from the Netflix series...
-------------Nexts Chapters ----------------
Chapter 172 - Decision.
Chapter 177 - Triss Merigold.
Chapter 187 - Dealing with King Henselt 01.
Chapter 196 - The Hunchbacked Girl.
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