Huh?!!
The witcher, who had been deliberately minimizing his presence the whole time, was jolted in shock.
What was supposed to be a gentle, heartwarming conversation—comforting prenatal anxiety and discussing motherhood—how had it taken such a sharp turn and suddenly become a live demonstration of magical abortion?
Vera herself had gone through pregnancy and had a child with Sol. Shouldn't she, of all people, understand that fear, confusion, and helplessness best? Shouldn't she be speaking softly, offering comfort and support? How had she suddenly become so radical?
Wait!
Allen realized something.
To him, Visenna giving birth to Geralt was almost an inevitable event. Geralt of Rivia, Vilgefortz—although people always talked about sorcerers having low fertility, there were actually quite a few children among the sorcerers around him. He had never truly felt how rare it was.
But for Visenna, things were obviously different. She was not a sorceress trained at Aretuza. Like an ordinary woman with an unexpected pregnancy, she was just as frightened and lost.
Vera, on the other hand, had clearly seen too many malformed fetuses at Aretuza. The motion of snapping her fingers, summoning a staff, and preparing to perform a magical abortion was disturbingly practiced.
To her, this seemed to be some kind of standard procedure—cold, decisive, efficient.
From another angle, judged by Vera's experience and perspective, there was nothing wrong with her choice.
To Allen, what lay in Visenna's womb was Geralt—the White Wolf, loyal to his friends, burdened by fate. But to Vera, it was merely a burden: a child abandoned by its father, with a very high chance of becoming a stillbirth or a monster, capable of ruining the future of a promising sorceress and druid.
When Visenna herself was still confused and unable to make a choice, Vera's decision was not wrong at all.
Moreover, this persuasion was not without cost.
Vera's best option, in fact, would have been to wait—allowing Visenna to think it through herself, without expressing any bias.
Because no one knew whether Visenna would ever be able to conceive again after losing this child.
If Visenna was confused today, but years later came to want a child and found she could no longer bear one, wouldn't gratitude turn into resentment?
Vera was genuinely thinking of Visenna's well-being. She didn't want delay after delay to lead Visenna—out of reluctance or wishful thinking (which was very likely)—to give birth to a deformed child and end in tragedy.
It was precisely because Visenna had once saved Allen's life that Vera was being so ruthless—and so decisive—trying to cut the knot swiftly.
Thinking of this, Allen suddenly found himself pondering another question.
"Vera must have gone through this herself," Allen thought. "Tissaia de Vries, Ida Emean… perhaps even Sol tried to persuade her to abort the child back then. How did she decide to give birth?"
Allen looked at Vera, unsure what the answer would be. But he knew he could no longer stay silent.
Because after hearing Vera's words, Visenna was actually hesitating—and her gaze was gradually becoming resolute.
Geralt: danger!
"Wait!"
Allen interrupted softly, careful not to raise his voice and trigger an instinctive reaction from Vera.
Visenna and Vera both turned their heads at the same time, looking at him in confusion, as if to say: What does a woman's pregnancy have to do with you, a boy?
"I think there's no need to make a decision so quickly," Allen said carefully. "Visenna, what you're really struggling with isn't whether to give birth to Ger—him, but your fear of not being able to give birth to a healthy child, right?"
Otherwise—
If she had truly decided not to give birth, she wouldn't have traveled so far to beg Vera for help.
Whether Visenna realized it or not, her actions already showed that she wanted to give birth to the child in her womb—even though the child's father had abandoned them just days ago.
Otherwise, Allen would never have forced his savior to give birth simply to satisfy his own desire to witness Geralt's birth and growth.
Visenna froze for a moment. After a brief silence, she nodded. "I—I am afraid…"
[Allen—] Vera gently tugged at the witcher's arm and spoke in his mind. [Don't be impulsive. The probability of a sorceress giving birth to a normal child is less than one in a thousand.]
[Don't worry. I know my limits.]
Allen replied mentally. Vera fell silent.
"But you want to give birth to him?" Allen pressed.
Visenna fell silent again. After a moment, she glanced at Vera and nodded. "Sooner or later, there isn't a single sorceress who doesn't want a child of her own."
"But Lady Vera is right. If, in the end, what is born is—"
She took a deep breath, as if merely saying those words would place enormous pressure on her.
"If what is born in the end is a monster that must ultimately be abandoned, then for everyone's sake, Lady Vera's choice would be the correct one."
"You want to persuade me to give birth to him?"
Visenna looked at the witcher with a mixture of hope and pleading.
"I don't intend to persuade you to do anything," Allen said cautiously.
Then, before disappointment could fully surface on Visenna's face, he continued, "But I know a place that should be able to determine the state of the fetus's development."
"Where?" Visenna's eyes lit up. She stepped closer and asked eagerly.
"The Temple of Melitele," Allen replied. "And we're acquainted with the temple's Arch-Priestess, Ianna. She can help you confirm the condition of the fetus as soon as possible. What do you think?"
Although he had some confidence, his existence had already altered Temeria in subtle ways. Whether the child in Visenna's womb was truly Geralt was hard to say. Whether Visenna's constitution was special enough to guarantee a healthy child on her first pregnancy was also uncertain.
So Allen couldn't speak in absolutes—he had to leave room for uncertainty.
That was why he didn't directly urge Visenna to give birth, but instead proposed going to the Temple of Melitele for further examination and care.
Otherwise, if Korin and Visenna's relationship had developed even a day—or half a day—later than in the original timeline because of Allen's presence, and the result really was a monster, wouldn't that mean he had harmed Visenna?
The Temple of Melitele was the most famous and most reliable "maternal and child healthcare center" and "postpartum sanctuary" on the entire Northern Continent. Not to mention that with the revival of the goddess Melitele, divine arts related to childbirth and healing had surely advanced greatly. It was the most suitable place for Visenna.
Even Aretuza couldn't compare.
"Yes, the Temple of Melitele—the temple of the goddess of fertility, Melitele, will surely have a way," Visenna murmured, then asked impatiently, "When do we depart?"
Allen glanced at the now completely empty cabin. "No rush. After you've arranged the affairs of the Druid Circle—"
"No need," Visenna shook her head. "After the Grand Master told me the news, I arranged all the affairs of the Druid Circle on the way here."
"The Grand Master?" Allen and Vera both froze. How did this involve the Grand Master of the Mayena Druid Circle?
After Visenna explained briefly, realization dawned on Allen.
Only then did he notice: it was after the Grand Master had sensed Vera's arrival and mentioned it that Allen had immediately rushed back to his former residence after class.
And Visenna had arrived not long after.
How had she known that Vera had returned?
"What exactly did the Grand Master say?" Allen asked curiously. "Why did he tell you to come to us?"
Visenna thought for a moment.
"I may be unable to do anything, but that doesn't mean others can't. The witcher you brought back is about to leave. Arrange the affairs of the Druid Circle, and go with him…"
"You mean—Allen?"
"Yes, him. From his mouth, you will learn the answer."
The Grand Master's parting words echoed in her mind. Visenna's heart trembled, and she stared at Allen in astonishment.
She finally realized that the one the Grand Master had wanted her to seek advice from had always been Allen—the witcher who could only be called a boy—rather than the mother who had already borne this boy, the fellow sorceress Vera.
It was only instinctive panic and ingrained habit that made her subconsciously overlook this point.
"What's wrong?" Visenna's shocked gaze made Allen feel a little uncomfortable.
Visenna came back to herself and repeated, word for word, what the Grand Master had said before parting. Her confidence in Allen's suggestion immediately increased by quite a bit.
Allen, too, was astonished by the Grand Master's mastery of divination, and his confidence in Geralt's normal birth grew accordingly.
At the same time, he felt a lingering fear at how close it had been. If, just now, he had avoided the situation out of propriety, or if Vera had felt awkward discussing the matter and left the two women alone together—
With Vera's decisiveness, Geralt would probably have truly been gone.
After talking for a while longer, Allen proposed that they leave.
However, although none of the three had any immediate problems, it was impossible for them to depart right away.
They returned to the original wooden cabin, picked up Fringilla Vigo—who had been bored in the room, playing house all by herself with illusions—then bid farewell to the familiar druids nearby. After that, Allen turned back and took one last look at the Mayena Druid Circle.
Under layers of heavy clouds, the Mayena Druid Circle at night was not particularly beautiful, yet Allen still felt a certain reluctance to leave.
Healing his injuries, cultivating the druidic path, researching Lydia's relics—Allen had been quite busy at the Mayena Druid Circle. And yet, he suddenly had a premonition.
Perhaps this brief period of just over a month at the Mayena Druid Circle would be the most leisurely time of his entire life.
"Let's go." Allen took a deep breath and gave Vera a slight nod.
"Boom~"
An orange-red portal appeared.
Amid the farewells of Simmons, Olga, and many other druids, the witcher stepped resolutely into the portal—and toward the next stage of his journey.
At the same time, beneath the sacred Mayena Tree.
A holy white reindeer was listening attentively as a brown bear reported on the upcoming arrangements of the Mayena Druid Circle.
The brown bear was the archdruid temporarily filling in for Visenna's duties.
But the Mayena Druid Circle was not a newly established supernatural organization. It neither needed rapid expansion nor faced the risk of decline. In truth, there was nothing particularly important that required special attention.
They were merely discussing some inconsequential details.
The reindeer nodded from time to time. Paired with a respectfully deferential brown bear, the scene was somewhat comical.
Until—
At a certain moment, the reindeer suddenly raised its head and looked toward the outer ring of the Mayena Druid Circle, interrupting their conversation.
"What is it, Grand Master?" The brown bear followed the reindeer's gaze, but saw only dark, silent woodland.
The reindeer withdrew its gaze. "Visenna will be leaving for a long time. McKinney, I'll have to trouble you with the affairs of the Mayena Druid Circle. If anything comes up, come find me at any time."
"The affairs of Mayena aren't that heavy," the brown bear blinked its beady eyes and shook its head in a very human manner. "It shouldn't come to the point of disturbing you, not to that extent—"
"It won't be the same anymore, McKinney. Not like before," the reindeer interrupted.
He lifted his head to look at the dark, leaden clouds and sighed softly. "A new era—very likely the final era—is about to descend—"
"Boom~"
An orange-red portal appeared outside the Temple of Melitele, in a secluded corner of the forest.
Allen, Fringilla Vigo, Visenna, and Vera stepped out of the portal one after another.
At night, they did not notify anyone, nor did they expect anyone to come and greet them. However, opening a portal this close to the Temple of Melitele meant that Ianna would certainly be able to tell that it was them.
One more thing worth mentioning—
Although the time was rather late, it happened to be when Ianna was not resting, but engaged in devout prayer.
Otherwise, Allen and Vera would definitely have chosen to spend the night at the Mayena Druid Circle and come the next day.
"So this is the Temple of Melitele?" Fringilla Vigo looked around like a curious child.
Toussaint was not within Melitele's sphere of influence. Most knights of the fairy-tale kingdom believed in the Lady of the Lake, while commoners and nobles believed in the prophet Lebioda.
Of course, that was the state of belief a hundred years later. Lebioda died in 1133, and only a little over forty years had passed. His faith likely had not yet spread as widely or deeply as it would in later generations.
But clearly, Melitele still had a certain degree of influence in Toussaint.
"This should be outside the city of Ellander. The coordinates of the temples wouldn't allow portals to be set too close to the shrine itself," Visenna said after stepping out of the portal, then suddenly realized the timing was a bit awkward. "It's already nightfall—does Ellander have a curfew? If not, maybe we should find a place in Ellander to stay the night—"
Allen shook his head. "No need. It's not far ahead, the temp—"
Before he could finish, his tone suddenly changed, and he turned his head to look westward.
Visenna and Fringilla Vigo were puzzled as to why he stopped mid-sentence, while Vera frowned and also looked in the same direction, on guard.
A few seconds later, they almost simultaneously sensed something amiss in the wind, along with faint tremors in the ground.
"Hm?!!" Visenna and Fringilla Vigo immediately looked at Allen in surprise.
Why was a witcher's perception stronger than that of sorceresses—and seemingly even stronger than Vera's? Was this an illusion?
As they were still in shock, the sound of galloping hooves in the wind rapidly drew closer, and the ground began to shake more noticeably.
Before long, a small cavalry unit of around ten riders, holding torches aloft, burst into their field of vision, accompanied by a sharp shout.
"Who goes there! Daring to trespass into the Temple of Melitele in the middle of the night?!!"
What had happened recently at the Temple of Melitele, for it to be on such high alert?
And—
They said the Temple of Melitele, not Ellander—
Allen and Vera noticed this detail at the same time and exchanged glances.
.........
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