The Divine Hunter

Louisa looked at the young man on the bed, and she said softly, "His Majesty cleaned himself up and left after we buried the body, while I went to search for my son, but I had no idea where he was hiding. The baron might’ve gotten suspicious if I was gone for too long, so I went back to the hall. I should have kept looking for him."

"Had you searched the maids' bedchamber beside the garden? Was there anyone in there?"

Louisa shook her head. "I only found out what happened when Rosie screamed."

"I've told you everything I know, witchers," Louisa broke Roy's train of thoughts and pulled her hair back. "If you have any questions, ask away. I'll tell you whatever I know, but please keep this affair a secret."

Louisa was no longer nervous now that she had spilled her secret. She looked calm and elegant once more, just like how she was a while ago. "The family will be humiliated if news gets around. A-And the baron might just snap. He might have a fallout with Foltest. There'll be war in the city. The people will be dragged into it. Lives will be lost. You don't want that to happen, do you?"

"We're not running a charity. I don't care what happens to the baron's people," Letho snapped. He then said, "But we did promise you. Amos is dead, and there's no changing that. We'll keep this affair a secret as long as you clear the troupe's name, give them the justice they deserve, and pay for their damages. You caused a lot of damage to them."

"Only the curse giver can lift their own curse," Letho said. "The only way to save him is to find out who cursed Aryan."

Louisa teared up. She held her son tightly and sobbed.

Roy stayed silent. He thought it was a little ironic. Most witchers have been separated from their parents since they were children. They never had the luxury of family, like Letho, Auckes, and Serrit. It had been a while since Roy saw his parents too. This woman might have betrayed her husband and became an accomplice to murder, but she did love her son.

Time passed, and Louisa eventually calmed down. She wiped her tears and pursed her lips. Louisa said curiously, "I have a question. I don't understand. I know your investigations show that Foltest had gone to the garden, but how'd you find out I was with him? Just because I left the hall too? You thought we were having a tryst just because of that? That… That's preposterous!"

Roy fell into silence. He knew Louisa had an affair with Foltest due to the game he played. He knew about the events that were going to happen, so he had this idea right after they started investigating.

Letho has his own reason as well. "The Henhouse." He explained, "We saw a great show in that inn. A couple of brazen alcoholics talked about your affair with the king. Even put on a show about it."

"You heard it too?" The witchers looked at each other, and they started to think things were getting weird.

"The baron took us on a trip in spring, and we went by an inn, so we had lunch there." She looked down and said in an even sadder voice, "I still remember how that meal tastes. The smoked pork is delicious. It's irresistible. Almost magical. Aryan fell in love with it. I asked the servants to purchase some almost every week. Poor Aryan…" She caressed her son's face and cried.

Roy was reminded of their investigation in the hall. It was filled with the smoked pork's smell too. "Have you had that dish lately?"

"The servants went to the inn yesterday. The innkeep is a smart man. He sets aside enough smoked pork for the castle every week. The baron loves it too, after all."

"The innkeep? You mean Barton?"

"Perhaps. I don't remember." Louisa asked, "Why do you care about him, witchers?"

Roy ignored her. He leaned back against the wall, his brows furrowed into a frown. The young witcher massaged his temples, confusion creeping onto his face. "What does he look like anyway? I can't remember. What about you Letho?"

Letho shook his head solemnly. "Now that you mentioned it, I can't remember what he looks like either. Are Barton and those peasants someone more powerful than we thought? If so, who are they?"

***

"You don't have to dwell on an innkeep and some peasants. That's a waste of time. I'm sure it just slipped your mind." She took a deep breath, and as if the witchers were her last hope, she said, "Please, look at Aryan again. Save him. The prophecy did say you'll wake someone who's in slumber?"

"The prophecy… Maybe it has the clue we need!" Roy quickly asked, "How did the prophecy go again?"

Louisa almost jumped, while Letho answered, "Arrive they will. Those drenched in blood but filled with mercy. A veil will be pierced, and a grotesque truth spilled. The bloody reflection they shatter, to awaken the one in slumber."

Roy's mutterings came to an abrupt halt. He could feel an eerie silence crushing his neck. When he looked up, Letho's mouth was open, revealing his teeth and gums, but he couldn't say a word. Even his muscles stopped moving, as if they were stopped in time.

Maria Louisa was still beside the bed, craning her neck and caressing her son. She leaned ahead, looking at Roy expectantly. However, it was as if her face were made out of a mold. Unlike her lively, beautiful self, it looked stiff and dead.

That wasn't all. Everything else came to a halt, including Letho, Louisa, Aryan's breathing, heartbeat, the sunshine, and even the wind. It was like an invisible hand just pressed 'pause' on the remote control that controlled all life.

All life, except Roy. The young witcher felt someone looking at him, and he slowly turned his gaze to the window. It was open, but he heard no chirps, despite the fact that there were birds outside. When he looked downward, he saw someone staring at him. It was a man, and his eyes were as deep as an abyss.

A smile curled his lips, and the wrinkles on his cheeks deepened. His eyes turned into slits, and smile lines appeared on the corner of his eyes. The man was smiling eerily, while his face kept changing from one man into another. Roy saw those faces before.

Tross, the stall owner who went missing in Aldersberg, Boyev, the chief of Cona Village, the customer in the White Orchard's inn, the chief of Lower Velen, and Barton, the innkeep of Henhouse.

They were familiar faces, but Roy kept forgetting them. In the end, all those faces turned into one of a skinhead man with a crooked nose and untrimmed stubble. "Ah, so you've noticed me, Roy." He smiled.

***

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