He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
He had never seen a sorcerer perform such magic with his own eyes, and he inevitably felt uneasy, but seeing that both young masters had already entered,
he gritted his teeth, nodded to the two who were full of amazement, took a deep breath, mustered his courage, took a step, and immediately plunged into the portal.
The second after Dalton's figure vanished, the portal suddenly contracted and disappeared instantly, just as it had appeared.
Only a few easily dissipating energy remnants remained in the air.
Silence returned to the garden, leaving only the stunned Hans and Jack.
Jack came to his senses, looked at the place where the portal had vanished, and muttered: "He said before he was going to study under a professor..."
"I haven't seen him for a while, don't tell me... he's come to the method of sorcerers, right?"
Hans slowly nodded, his face shocked, his voice a bit dry: "Mr. Jack, perhaps... you are right."
......
The trio—Karl, Raymond, and Dalton—passed through the portal.
Except for Karl, both felt a brief sensation of weightlessness and spatial distortion, and after a little discomfort, found themselves on solid ground.
What drew the attention of the three was the interior of the academy, and the hall where Hen was before was not Ellander.
Karl needed Hen's help; his own teleportation spells weren't advanced enough to directly locate Ellander, a place he had never been.
As far as he knew, for ultra-long-range and precise teleportation, perhaps only his teacher Hen in the entire Brotherhood could do it.
Another high-level sorcerer, Tissaia, and a very small number of top sorcerers could do it reliably.
Hen seemed to have anticipated their arrival, or rather, had sensed the energy fluctuations of Karl opening the portal, and stood waiting quietly.
Karl didn't have time to greet him and briefly explained the reason and destination: "Teacher, I am going to the Temple of Melitele in Ellander to heal him."
Hen's gaze swept over Raymond, who was weak and almost completely dependent on Karl, and Dalton, who looked nervous and curious about the student environment.
He didn't ask for any additional information and didn't delay, simply nodding calmly: "Alright."
Still without any gesture or incantation, a portal opened faster than Karl's earlier one, appearing instantly.
"Leads to the area near the Ellander temple." Hen's words were concise and astonishing.
"Thank you, Teacher!" Karl nodded gratefully and helped Raymond into the portal.
Dalton didn't dare to neglect and followed.
Light flashed again, and after a short feeling of weightlessness, the three found themselves in a strange place.
A solid stone path lay underfoot, and the air was filled with a rich fragrance of flowers and damp earth, different from the grassy and bookish smells of the academy.
Before them was a building of considerable size with a simple yet magnificent style, high arches, and walls covered with ivy, telling of years of rain and sun.
This was the Temple of Melitele, surrounded by green trees, fragrant birds and flowers—a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.
Before Karl could help Raymond take a step forward, or even have time to get a closer look at the full view of the temple,
a slightly surprised, low voice came from behind them, a voice Karl knew well.
"Karl? How did you get here, and was that just... are you a sorcerer?"
Hearing this voice, Karl immediately recognized its owner.
He turned his head and, sure enough, saw the white-haired Geralt not far away.
However, Geralt's current situation seemed awkward; he was facing a group of knights in plate armor adorned with white roses.
At the head was a dwarf with a thick beard and sharp eyes, carrying a pole.
Karl hadn't expected to meet Geralt at the Temple of Melitele in Ellander.
This unexpected event even temporarily eased his worry about Raymond's condition.
As his gaze swept over Geralt, he immediately noticed something was wrong with his condition.
Geralt's abdomen and one arm were wrapped in thick bandages, faint traces of herbs and blood visible on them.
Moreover, Geralt's movements were noticeably sluggish.
What worried Karl even more was the old woman standing beside Geralt.
She wore a small bag at her waist, a hooded shawl covering her head, and her demeanor was calm—clearly a priestess of the temple.
Her gaze was firmly fixed on Karl at that moment.
Her eyes were extremely complex, mixing surprise at first sight with a kind of scrutiny and a trance-like look upon meeting a very familiar person.
Karl helped Raymond up and took a few steps closer to Geralt, glancing sideways at the hostile group of White Rose knights.
"Geralt? Why are you here too? And... your injuries are serious." He asked directly.
A flicker of awkwardness quickly crossed Geralt's expressionless face, but he quickly regained his composure.
He replied in a low voice: "After I left Baron's Meadow, I encountered another Striga while traveling to take on contracts..."
"Although... its condition was a bit different from Princess Adda's, I was still slightly injured because of it."
Geralt spoke simply, clearly unwilling to go into the details of his misstep.
Karl was about to ask a few questions about the Striga, or ask Geralt if he needed help,
when a voice from the White Rose knight side rudely interrupted their conversation.
"Hey, listen! This is not a place for chit-chat!"
A young man with a shaved head, a youthful face, and an arrogant aura pressed his right hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist and stepped forward.
He first glanced contemptuously at Karl and Raymond; although they were well-dressed, they didn't have a noble crest.
His voice was full of arrogance as he pointed a finger at Geralt: "Whoever you are, if you don't want trouble, you'd better stay away from this freak!"
"Listen carefully, I won't remind you a second time!"
He immediately turned to Geralt, his voice becoming even colder and more overbearing: "Butcher of Blaviken! The Duchy of Ellander does not welcome you, executioner!"
"Leave now, or don't blame us for being rude!"
As his words trailed off, the several White Rose knights behind him stepped forward in unison, their hands on their sword hilts.
In an instant, a murderous atmosphere descended, and they were ready to surround and beat Geralt at the slightest objection.
Huh? Not only threatening Geralt, but daring to threaten him? Karl's face instantly turned cold.
Dalton tensed up, putting his hand on the hilt of his sword, staring at the White Rose knights.
He immediately stepped forward to guard Karl and prepare for battle.
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