The Divine Hunter

Chapter 491: Reunion

[TL: Asuka]

[PR: Ash]

The crips sound of footsteps rang across the neatly-tiled street as a beautiful woman emerged from her house in Gildorf. She was wearing a black, lacy dress, and the frills were adorned with small decorations. Her dress clung closely to her skin, showing her beautiful curves.

A gust of sea breeze blew from the west, caressing her fiery-red hair, and her hair brushed across her perfect, albeit listless face. Elegantly and quickly, she walked, the pearl necklace and obsidian talisman she wore glimmering under the sun. The merchants, florists, and even the pedestrians stared at her with admiration in their eyes, but she paid them no heed as she walked across the bustling street, a frown furrowing her eyebrows.

Her eyes were vacant, bereft of any emotion, and she had the air of a person so lonely, this world could walk ahead, and she would be left behind. She was a stark contrast to the street around her that was brimming with life. The woman went north, where the bridge leading to the Temple Isle was.

The bridge had the perfect scenery. Anyone who came here could see the beautiful houses in the trade district and the resplendent temple standing atop the island. Beneath them was the boundless sea, where ships sailed. The sun hung over the horizon, burning the skies with red hot flames.

However, there were a few beggars lying around the bridge. Bedlam’s men would only beg in remote corners. They would never step into the heart of the city, or the guards of Eternal Fire would give them a beating. But today, there were people kneeling around the bridge. The old, the children, and the women, all begging for money. All were gaunt, like they hadn’t eaten in days.

“Please, have mercy, good sir! Fair lady, please!” A woman with a mud-caked face banged her head against the ground, her tattered clothes shivering along with her. A red mark appeared on her head, and blood started to trickle. Her voice was weak, like she would die at any given moment. “Please, we just need some coins to eat. We’ll starve to death!”

The look on Coral’s face did not change, and the woman shouted with what little was left of her strength, “The Nilfgaardian bastards invaded our kingdom, took our houses and coins away, and killed our family! Please, help us. Freya, Eternal Fire, please, have mercy on us poor Cintrans.”

The woman took a deep breath, and sadness flashed in her eyes. She then clutched her chest. The man she loved went missing after that battle, and his whereabouts were still unknown. She didn’t stop walking, but the woman brushed her hand across the air, and the pearl necklace she wore gleamed with magic.

To the beggars’ disbelief, a few crowns suddenly appeared before them, and delight overtook their hearts.

“Praise the Eternal Fire!”

“Praise be to Freya!”

The beggars picked up the coins and rushed into the slums to purchase their food. The bland ‘food’ given by the church could barely fill their bellies up.

***

The woman stood outside the temple for a while. Everywhere she looked, be it the pillars, the fountain, or even the plaza, tents took up every inch of the land, and within it were the refugees from a war-torn Cintra.

At the suggestion of Chappelle and Gawain, Novigrad and the northern kingdoms generously took in some of the refugees, but it wasn’t enough. Most of the Cintrans were still roaming the land, surviving the elements and living without a place they could call home.

***

The woman came to a hidden cave behind a weed-filled path. She stood before the innermost wall and waved her hand. The wall disappeared like a mirage, revealing another path with crackling braziers flanking its sides. She went into it and dispelled all illusions and traps. Halfway through, she came to a dry fountain and patted the gargoyle like it was her pet, then she stepped into a lab.

Lights illuminated every corner of this laboratory that was big enough to house a hundred people. The lab was split into three different compartments, each for a distinct use. One was for everyday life, one was for experiments, and the last was for item storage. The lab was filled with all kinds of containers, beakers, a big oven, and one operating theater.

The woman looked at the two residents in the lab. One was a man with a balding head. He had a mousy face, and his goatee was clumped up and tied together. The man’s extraordinarily small eyes were bloodshot, and dark circles hung heavy under them. He was now smacking the back of his head, looking frustrated.

Standing beside him was a woman with maroon hair tied behind her head, and her blue eyes were filled with confusion.

“Triss, Kalkstein,” said Lytta nervously like she was a patient waiting for the doctor’s checkup results. “Any progress?”

“Sorry, Coral.” Triss hung her head low and tugged on the hem of her clothing. “I can’t remember anything. Everything that happened in the castle was a blur. I remember a few cloaked men surrounding Roy, and then… nothing. They fought, but I don’t remember what they talked about. It’s like my memory was deleted.”

“Calm down, Lytta. Her memory loss is more than what it seems.” Kalkstein pinched his beard. “This is nothing like a hypnotic suggestion. She was fed a special kind of drug that exacerbated her condition. It’s not possible for her to regain her memory anytime soon.”

“But can Roy afford to wait?” Lytta leaned back on a bench, looking defeated, and she held the hem of her dress tightly. “It’s been two months. We have no clues, and the research yields nothing.” Lytta held onto hope in the beginning, then she was hysterical, and then she started losing hope, and now despair was starting to set in. “If he’s still alive, he could’ve told Gryphon to give us the news. No divination would work on him. Gawain and Chappelle sent their men to look for him, but they found nothing!” she roared. “Why isn’t he coming back? He knows there’s a lot of people waiting for him! Worried for him!”

Triss trembled, and she pursed her lips, a hint of fear flashing in her eyes. She then shook her head and approached Lytta, then she held Lytta’s hand and stared into her listless eyes. “He’s alive somewhere, trust me.”

Being with Lytta these days had changed Triss a little. She was afraid of the aloof, irascible, and hostile sorceress at first, but now she acknowledged and pitied the sorceress a little. Lytta’s longing for Roy exceeded Triss’ expectations. She wouldn’t go a moment without thinking about it, unlike her colleague, who would change partners every two weeks.

Compared to her, Triss’ infatuation that stemmed from gratitude and her… needs was childish. She was a woman, and she knew women. Slowly but surely, she found a way to get along with Lytta. As long as she didn’t show too much concern toward Roy, things would be fine. “If they really wanted to get rid of Roy, they could’ve killed me instead of getting rid of my memory. This must mean they want something from Roy, and they don’t want to risk a falling out just yet. Roy must have his reasons to stay out of contact.”

Lytta was silent for a moment. “I hope so.”

“Ladies, you shouldn’t worry so much for a lad. Men are nothing compared to the vast sea of knowledge and experiments,” Kalkstein blabbered. “Magic is what we sorcerers should strive for. Love and thrills are nothing but small excitements in our lives. Just when you two are finally acting like professionals too. You should keep it up and leap into the sea of experiments with me.”

The ladies shot the alchemist looks of disdain.

“Do not give me that look. Being single is not a crime.” Kalkstein was angry at first, then he chuckled. “Fine, I was kidding. Of course he’s worth your time. He’s young and filled with energy. I do not think he’ll leave his lovely lover behind. He’s coming back soon, you’ll see,” the alchemist guessed. “And perhaps he brings gifts.”

***

Time went by, and soon it was night. A meteor darted through the skies of Novigrad, lighting up the darkening sky for a moment. Lytta was on her way back home, and she closed her eyes, holding her hands close to her chest, then she muttered something to the meteor. Please, let him come back safe and sound. I will take any punishment for him. No, I’ll sacrifice a hundred years of my life for him. She heaved a sigh, and the sigh trickled into silence.

The sorceress was not one to trust in superstitions like this. Only ignorant children would do that, but Roy’s prolonged disappearance had pushed her to the brink of desperation. She then trudged back home and walked up the stairs.

She clapped her hands, and the magical lamp hanging overhead lit up, shining on a spacious and luxurious living space. The dressing table was filled with all kinds of makeup products, the cabinet was huge, there was a storage chest lying around, and her purple bed had a feather blanket covering it, while curtains surrounded it.

The sorceress kicked her heels off and strode ahead, then she sank into her bed, burying her nose into her neatly-folded blanket. Suddenly, she turned around, her eyes sparkling. Then she placed her hands against her nose. “I can’t believe I’m tasting his scent.” It’s been two months since he left. There’s no way this is happening. No matter how much I miss him, I can’t be hallucinating. “Perhaps Kalkstein’s right. I should calm down a little.”

But the more she told herself that, the more she turned around and rolled on her bed, trying to calm herself down. But suddenly, she stared at the ceiling, and her eyes went wide, then her face fell. “Wait a minute. I didn’t fold my blanket before I left!”

“Reset.” A sigh came from underneath her bed.

Lytta quickly attacked her bed, smashing it into pieces. And then a surge of magic draped over the room.

Time started to rewind, the countless feathers picked up by the invisible hands of time, reassembling them into a perfect blanket. Things went back to how they were before, and silence fell upon the room, as if that blast earlier was just a dream.

Confusion flashed in Coral’s eyes. She knew something was off, but she couldn’t remember what it was. But then, a familiar smell caught her attention. She sniffed the air and chuckled. “I can’t believe I’m tasting his scent.” It’s been two months since he left. There’s no way this is happening.

Unlike last time, she heard the mewls of a cat coming from outside. Lytta walked over barefoot, and a fat orange cat was sitting beside the pots of blossoming purple roses on the windowsill, meowing at her.

“I know it’s spring, but you’re still barely a grown cat. Do you know what that urge is like?” Lytta could never resist anything cute. The melancholy in her heart was healed a little, and she picked the cat up, but then she noticed something. The cat was hiding a letter underneath its belly. And a rose too.

The cat broke free of her hold and leapt down to the windowsill, swaying its tail. It pointed at the letter with its paw, telling her to continue.

Lytta looked into the night sky, the stars suddenly brightening up, and it lit up her cold, dark heart. Her eyelashes fluttered, and with trembling hands, she picked up the rose and letter.

I failed to say goodbye

But as I turn around, I wipe away the tears

Streaming down your cheeks

The handwriting wasn’t beautiful, but it was touchingly familiar.

As fate pulled me away

On my fingers I count

The days remaining until my return

Two months went by

Only two

Yet my heart flutters

My mind snaps

As it tries to remember

To recall what it has forgotten

To remember the thing it is missing.

Tears glistened in the sorceress’ eyes. She felt someone coming up to her, and like a drunken woman, she fell into his embrace. It was warm. If this is a dream, please let me stay here for a while longer.

The voice she had missed so much whispered, “Even in another world, I yearned for but one wish. To stand here with you, in my embrace.”

She felt someone wrapping his arms around her hips, and his lips kissed her neck, his breath traveling down her nape. A gust of wind blew into her room, and her hair brushed against the man’s face.

She turned around, and she saw the face of the very man she had been yearning to see once more. It was a little different, but her heart fluttered all the same.

“I’m back, Coral.” Roy smiled at her gently and picked her up in his arms.