Our family is in decline

According to Catherine's story, it was a bit tragic. Their family kindly rescued the old man at that time, but after the old man woke up, he sacrificed her whole family and left her alone.

Lance also probably guessed that the wizard discovered her extraordinary talent and kept her, otherwise the wizard would never keep her.

Then Catherine was taken by the wizard and forced to become his apprentice, or slave, moving the blood pack.

At that time, the wizard seemed to be hunted by some enemy, so he left the Levant with the merchant ship and took refuge in Totnes.

At the same time, he also used the name of an antique dealer to hide his identity. However, he, an old man who had not known how long he lived, really knew this business. He settled down and quickly opened a shop in Mouse Street.

During this period of time, the wizard taught her a lot of things to make herself more relaxed, and also allowed her to participate in some rituals.

The chaotic outer city provided materials for his ritual. No one cared about the outer city where people were missing every moment, and the wizard slowly recovered from his old state to a middle-aged appearance.

This all proceeds steadily until a commission comes.

"There was a theft in the wealthy area of ​​Midtown, and a police sergeant wanted him to find the thief..."

When Lance heard this, he suddenly reacted. Could it have anything to do with him?

It shouldn't be such a coincidence...

“The ceremony started smoothly, but I don’t know what happened. In the middle of the ceremony, the superior who had been worshiping for many years died, and the wizard was seriously injured.

In a similar situation to ours, one of the extraordinary beings who was investigating this matter lost control and became an evil fallen person, causing chaos in the mysterious world of Totnes.

The wizard was wanted by the authorities, so he could only take me to escape from Totnes, and went north to restore a little strength through sacrifices. Finally, he re-contracted with a new superior in a village, and his strength was restored. "

Hearing this, Lance felt that something was connected.

No wonder he felt inexplicably being watched on the ship. He thought he was being targeted by a collector, and then a large number of spiritual and extraordinary items were returned inexplicably.

It turned out that the wizard wanted to trace his traces, but the panel backfired, and the strange demon contracted by him became the scapegoat.

"Continue, what is the monster in the new contract?" Lance suppressed his confusion, and there were surging thoughts under the calm expression.

"I don't know either. He didn't teach me many things, but there are some things that are weird."

Speaking of this, Catherine was a little confused. In fact, the wizard did not teach her everything. She also learned more secretly, but she still noticed a few problems.

“In the past, it took him ten years to recover from a serious injury before he recovered from old age to middle age, but this time he recovered as soon as he completed the contract ceremony.

Moreover, his hands were able to heal quickly during the battle, which was something that had never happened before. These should be related to the superior person in his new contract. "

According to Catherine, the power of flesh and blood should be obtained from the contract, and the ceremony was held in Hamlet.

Lance guessed that the superior person this guy communicated with was probably an old guy like the ancestor, so he had the power of flesh and blood.

Could it be that the ancestor wanted to use the help of the wizard to bring some trouble to Hamlet?

"Why did you go north? Did he say anything?"

"No, he never explained his thoughts to me."

Lance pondered for a moment. He didn't believe in any coincidence. The wizard's appearance here was definitely guided by his ancestor.

That trap was either triggered by Geralt and the others, or Disma triggered it.

No matter who it is, it will definitely not be able to defeat the wizard alone, and once the sacrifice continues, the wizard's strength will greatly increase, and I am afraid that he will not be killed by him as easily as before.

It's just that Tamara's appearance here disrupted the layout, directly attracting Geralt and the nuns, and entangled the wizard with the help of the holy relics, allowing Disma to escape and report to him, thus eliminating the hidden danger in advance.

The chaos caused by the intersection of several parties made the incident develop out of control.

But with the death of the wizard, no one except the ancestor knows the truth.

But since they were all dead, Lance didn't bother to worry about it.

The old damn guy is restless, right? The Northern Expedition is about to speed up.

But there is one more thing now...Lance turned his attention back to Catherine.

"What is the function of these extraordinary items?"

"This pendant is a prop for wizards to perform secret arts, and it is also a core component of the sacrificial ceremony; the bone furnace can generate special steam with different effects by adding [Essence]; I don't know about that statue, I only know that it seems to be the product of some evil god's belief .”

Catherine offered the triangular pendant in her hand. Although she was very eager, she was still very sensible sometimes.

"Do you know much about these?" Lance took the pendant and played with it in his hand, looking a little playful.

"In order to run an antique shop, although the wizard did not teach me the secret skills, he taught me how to identify antiques, extraordinary items and spiritual materials."

Catherine knew that the more capable she showed, the better treatment she would get, but the words that came out of Lance's mouth made her stunned.

"What you said was forced by the wizard to learn it. Have you ever thought about what you like to do?"

What do you like to do?

She really hadn't thought about this issue and fell into silence.

"Let's do this. You can rest for a few days. You can walk around the town and adapt to the new life. I am different from the wizard. This will be your home. As long as you abide by the rules, no one will force you to do something you don't like. thing."

Catherine just nodded silently, no one knew what she was thinking, and at this moment she noticed the sunlight shining on her body, reached out to touch it, felt the warm touch, and couldn't help but murmur.

"Its daybreak."

"Yes, it's dawn." Lance looked over and saw a ray of morning light shining through the window.

Lance didn't have so many thoughts. He only had curse words in his heart.

Damn the ancestor, he made himself stay up all night again. Every hair lost is like a bullet. When the time comes, he must shoot the ancestor violently and open his eyes with a cannon!

Lance remembered in his little notebook that he had never been a good-tempered person.

"I will tell Susan about your affairs. If you have any questions, you can come to her, and I won't disturb your rest."

After Lance said that, he stood up and left the room. Catherine quickly checked the room and breathed a sigh of relief after making sure that there were no rituals, curses or the like left behind.

At this time, she no longer had the calmness she had shown when facing Lance. Instead, she felt restless and uneasy, which took a while to calm down.

What should I do now? Run away?

Thinking of this, I went to the door and opened it carefully. There was no lock, and there were no guards outside. I could just walk out. Freedom seemed to be just one step away.

She finally got rid of the wizard. She didn't believe that a person who could kill the wizard and save her would not have a backup plan. If she failed, would she...

The more gloomy a person is, the more suspicious they will be, and they will easily fall into it and become entangled.

After thinking back and forth for a while, Catherine still had not made a decision, so she could only wait and see what the situation was before making any plans.

After coming out, Lance had no intention of going back to catch up on his sleep. Instead, he returned to his room and continued the unfinished work again.

In his hand was the account book found from the Ascension Sect camp, which recorded the operation of the camp, and Lance also found some very interesting things in it.

That is the movement of people and materials between different camps.

Where do these refugees come from? Where will it be sent after training is completed?

So after investigating these clues, Lance probably knew that there were at least three similar camps nearby.

The two or three that are eliminated every day cannot withstand the consumption of hundreds of people, let alone the ceremonies they have to hold.

The source of their food also seems suspicious, with pigs actually mentioned.

I didn't pay much attention to it at first, but now that I think about it, there are indeed some bones in that pile that don't look like humans.

You must know that even in Hamlet's life, pork is relatively precious, and the largest source of protein is fish.

Where did those Ascension Sects get so much pork?

Looking at the summarized information, Lance fell into deep thought.

…………

"Ho!"

The nun lying on the simple bed suddenly woke up, and what woke her up was the sunlight shining in from the window.

Her memory still lingered on the moment before she fell. She felt a little safer after picking up the holy book and hammer placed on the bedside. She murmured a prayer before observing the surrounding situation.

No imprisonment, no deeper injuries, this place looks like an ordinary room somewhere.

He stood up and faced the sunshine, feeling the sacred power in his body. He raised his hand and cast a magic spell on himself, and his confused head was a little clearer.

Through the window, you can see the smiles on the faces of the townspeople coming and going, greeting each other, it seems that this is a quiet and peaceful town.

Did the person who appeared last night save him?

At this moment, the door was knocked and a familiar voice came.

"are you awake?"

The nun realized that it was the demon hunter named Geralt.

When she opened the door, she saw Geralt, who was neatly equipped. The witcher's special physique had worked. After a night's rest, his condition was much better.

"What happened last night? Was the monster killed?" The nun seemed a little uneasy. She didn't know what would happen if the monster escaped.

"The man last night was the lord here. He killed the monsters, rescued us, and sent us here. It's just that he needs us to abide by the rules here and not use violence to hurt anyone."

Geralt has been among the extraordinary for so many years, and he knows some of the taboos between them. He did not mention that Lance raised his hand to make the monster's corpse disappear.

Although the nun in front of me is not one of those crazy people, she is still a member of the church.

"May the Holy Flame protect him." The nun felt relieved after hearing this and prayed to the kind man.

It's just that at this time, there was some movement in the stomach naturally. The battle last night must have consumed a lot. As long as you are a human being, you need to eat, whether you believe in God or not.

Geralt had already eaten. He stayed in the room just to wait for someone to wake up and remind him to fulfill his promise. No matter what, he was a companion who had fought together.

"There is a tavern downstairs. The food is mediocre but enough to fill you up..." Geralt just said that and looked at the nun strangely, "You must be rich, right?"

The nun looked a little embarrassed when she heard this, "I will go to the church in town to supply supplies."

"Okay, I won't interrupt." Geralt fulfilled his obligation, and the relationship between the two was not much better.

After leaving the hotel, Geralt observed the town. It was obviously very gloomy and strange outside, but there was no gloomy atmosphere in the town. On the contrary, the sun was positive. The prosperity here could be seen from the construction projects that could be seen everywhere in the town.

Was all this brought about by that lord?

But this is not good news for him, because he is a demon hunter, and only the existence of monsters can give him room to perform.

Originally he was chasing the high reward, but now that the wizard is dead, it is impossible for him to receive the reward.

But the supplies consumed along the way, the maintenance of weapons and armor, not to mention those precious medicines, are all money. He urgently needs to take on some tasks to fill his empty wallet.

But in this environment, it didn't seem like he was threatened by some monster, that is, there was no bounty mission, which meant he had no money. No wonder he was helpless.

The appearance of a man dressed like Geralt still attracted some people's attention. After all, there had been no mercenaries in the town for a long time.

In the past, no ordinary person wanted to have much to do with those chaotic and crazy mercenaries, because most of the mercenaries were people from various religions.

But now I am just curious, not afraid.

This is a kind of confidence!

After asking a few people to inquire, Geralt walked directly towards the lord's mansion. He was about to leave after visiting him. There was no room for him to survive here.

Geralt has been in and out of many noble castles and many kings' palaces, but such an ordinary place can't stand up to the powerful strength of the lord. For a while, he couldn't help but be curious about this place and this lord?

"Are you leaving?" Lance looked at the witcher in front of him, "Is your injury not healed yet? Or is there something about Hamlet that makes you uncomfortable?"

Geralt could only tell the situation rather helplessly. He needed a bounty, and it was obvious that there was nothing he could accomplish here, so he couldn't go to the ashes, right?

Lance understood when he heard this, with a faint smile on his face.

As a ruler, he has never had a good impression of mercenaries.

What is a mercenary?

To put it bluntly, they are aggressive and ruthless street gangsters. These people are driven by profit and often engage in illegal activities with just a little bit of strength.

Of course, they can't be beaten to death with a stick. There may be some positive characters among these people, but at least they are not good for Hamlet's public security at all.

First of all, it must be clear that the reason for the existence of mercenaries is the lack of duties of the rulers, which led to the emergence of mercenaries to fill this gap.

It was so big that the empire needed the church to control the countryside, and its own functions only extended to the cities.

Even in small cities, the municipal government can only control the surface, and gangs still need the help of gangs to manage street areas.

The principles are the same.

And elimination is also very simple. As long as the rulers can fulfill their basic responsibilities and establish a stable environment based on rules, the so-called soil where churches, gangs, and mercenaries cannot survive will naturally disappear.

Just like in a clean place, no cockroaches can survive because there are no food residues to feed them.

If it doesn't disappear, it's no longer an ordinary cockroach, it needs a heavy blow!

Hamlet's current situation has proven that there is no problem with this. Without mercenaries, the church gangster town can survive.

But Lance does not mean to completely eliminate this industry, but to eliminate the garbage and keep the truly capable people.

It still makes sense to exist. After all, there are always some things that are not suitable for you to take action on.

"I have a reward here. I wonder if you are interested." Lance looked at Geralt with a meaningful smile on his face.

"What?"

"There is a cult organization called the Ascension Sect active around Hamlet. Not long ago, I led troops to destroy one of their camps, but I found that there were three more camps in the wilderness.

You have good tracking skills. If you can explore the exact location of these camps, you don't need to do anything. You only need to lead the way. If you find a camp, I will give you ten gold coins. "

Lance didn't know how many camps there were, nor did he know the exact location of the camps.

What's more, he can't waste time on this. Hamlet needs someone to manage him, and he can't run out every day.

Then someone needs to help him find and determine the location of those camps, and then he can lead his troops to destroy them.

And Geralt is a very suitable person, with good tracking ability, extraordinary strength, specializing in targeting monsters, and being able to move around in the wilderness.

"If you accept it, I will give you the information and situation, how about it?"

Geralt was a little moved when he heard this. In the past, most of his tasks were to kill monsters and sell materials. As for the bounty, it could only be regarded as an added bonus. Especially in some small villages and towns, the bounty they could offer was even less. For him, It's more like finding clues about where monsters are.

But fighting monsters requires a lot of effort, and sometimes you may lose everything in one trip, just like this time.

But this time, as long as you find it, you can get ten gold coins. If you are lucky, you don't even need to fight head-on, so there is no damage or maintenance.

But as a demon hunter who has been wandering around the mainland for many years, Geralt knows very well that the cult is not something to be trifled with...

Moreover, this task is too uncertain. If it cannot be found, wouldn’t it mean that there is nothing?

"Of course, if you are worried, you can join the exploration team I formed. However, the bounty is only two gold coins, but I will provide logistical supplies."

"No, I've accepted this task. Give me the information." Geralt didn't hesitate much because he really had no money.

As a powerful transcendent, he is trapped in money. This is related to the habits of demon hunters. The targets of their training are all monsters. They are trained to kill monsters. Special rituals create powerful bodies but bring The mutilation of the soul.

But it seems that there are really not many normal people who come to Hamlet...

Just as Geralt and Lance reached a cooperation, the nun also left the hotel and planned to go to the church in the town to seek help.

Because of some things, she became a battle nun and embarked on the road of spreading the holy flame. Along the way, she also accepted some tasks like those mercenaries, or worshiped believers, treated the injured, and obtained financial support through various means.

But there is not much money left, because spreading the brilliance of the Holy Flame is not a simple matter, and at least the money required is definitely indispensable.

There was no chance to stop in this pursuit, and the small amount of money was almost consumed.

Now I can only seek help from the church. This town is so big, there should be a church, but I don’t know which school I believe in?

The location of the church is uniform almost everywhere, being in the center, which also shows the strong influence of the church.

Originally, the nun had a pretty good impression of such a small town along the way, but she didn't know why those people looked at her strangely.

Until she saw the workers working hard on the cemetery and the tomb that was dug out.

"You are blaspheming!" the nun roared angrily, and then rushed forward.

The sudden appearance of a person and the roar really made the workers stunned.

The nuns also rushed forward. The simple nun uniforms and the holy book in their hands immediately reminded those people of something, and their expressions couldn't help but be a little frightened.

church!

It’s a church person!

They're back!

The power accumulated through thousands of years of oppression instantly frightened some workers into dropping their tools and looking horrified.

"We're just moving the graves to another cemetery in town."

"Yeah, we're just moving."

"We're not destroying."

One worker defended himself, and the others followed suit.

After reacting, the workers told their own story, but the nun didn't buy it.

"Who asked you to destroy the church cemetery?"

"This is not a church cemetery."

"The church is right here and you still want to lie to me!" The nun was furious. The buildings in the church were all similar. The church was right next to the cemetery. You still said it wasn't?

Speaking of which, the nun is also dissatisfied with the pastor of the church here. He actually allowed these people to destroy the cemetery. He must be punished!

It was just the worker's words that made her unable to react.

"That's not a church either..."

"What? You said this is not a church?"

"There is no church in our town. If you don't believe it, you can go and see for yourself."

When the nun heard this, she couldn't help but have a strange look on her face, and her eyes couldn't help but focus on the building in front of her.

That's right, I couldn't even recognize the style of the church, but if this was really a church, how could those people destroy the tomb at will?

Doubts filled the nun's mind. At this time, she didn't care about pestering the workers and walked quickly towards the building in front.

She began to feel that this town was not as simple as it seemed.

After the nun left, one of these people whispered something.

"Keep working, unless you want to take your family to work in the wilderness."

After hearing this, the workers also reacted and did not care about the nun picking up the tools again.

The monthly pass totals two hundred, plus two thousand words.