The Divine Hunter
The Divine Hunter - Chapter 189

Chapter 189: The Case in White Orchard

The sun was draping the land with a golden blanket. Two witchers who came from Vizima had passed Woesong Bridge and entered the land of the White Orchard. The river of Ismena cut through the village, flowing across the orchard that was littered with various fruit trees. The orchard was home to many high quality fruit produce and the best wood in Vulpine Woods for furniture-making.

The milk cows were nowhere to be seen on the other side of the bridge just yet, and the witchers walked slowly along the path, drinking in the beautiful scenery around them. At a glance, they saw a picturesque scene of a farm in the village. The sky was a clear blue, and various fruit trees stood proudly in the orchard, basking in the sunshine. White flowers were blooming on the trees, and the plump, lusciously glistening fruits hanging low on the branches were inviting someone to hold out their hands and pluck them off.

There were apples, peaches, and guavas on the trees, and their tantalizing scent wafted across the path between the trees. Magpies and larks were perched atop the branches, trilling happily. A meandering stream flowed around the village not far away from them, and light smoke that came out of chimneys of the rundown shacks billowed in the wind. Topless farmers were working hard in the fields, while snotty brats were fooling around with the dogs and roosters in the village.

鈥淭his is beautiful,鈥?Roy praised. The White Orchard was filled with life and vigor. Even after the wars that would happen in ten years, the orchard stood tall. Not even the Nilfgaardian army could bring themselves to bring this place down to ruins. 鈥淵ou know, we should build the school鈥檚 base in a place like this.鈥?/p>

Letho scoffed. 鈥淏uilding a witcher base on a prairie that leads to everywhere is asking for death. Do you want to get yourself surrounded?鈥?/p>

鈥淚鈥檓 just making an example. Getting a place with some beautiful scenery isn鈥檛 a bad idea.鈥?/p>

鈥淟et鈥檚 go. Be on your guard. The people here aren鈥檛 exactly friendly.鈥?/p>

Being careful was the right idea. If Roy鈥檚 memories were correct, Kolgrim鈥攖he one they were looking for鈥攄ied not long after he stayed in the orchard for a night. But it wasn鈥檛 certain if that would come to pass.

Because of their deep-seated prejudice, most villagers would only hear about witchers鈥?scandals, and they would think badly of the monster slayers. They might employ a witcher鈥檚 services if they were facing a monster problem, but they would spit at the witchers for being mutants. They were acting like ingrates, but that was normal for the population, and the witchers were already used to it. They were ready for the incoming hostility, but they realized that their perception was badly skewed when they finally came to the village.

The village was more like a hamlet that was only inhabited by about twenty families. Some of the houses were filled with cobwebs and draped in a blanket of dust. Nobody even cared to patch the holes that had formed on the roofs. On top of that, there weren鈥檛 many adult men in the village. Besides the few who were working in the fields and orchard, all the witchers saw were the sick, elderly, women, and children.

The villagers were acting weird as well. Most were sitting in their yard, basking in the sunshine. None of them paid any attention to the pair of outsiders, nor did they show any interest. They didn鈥檛 even answer the witchers when they tried to ask for directions. Only the boy who was hiding behind the stack of hay stuck his head out curiously. He was the only one who acted like a living, breathing person.

鈥淪omething鈥檚 wrong.鈥?The witchers looked at each other. The village was giving off the vibe of a half-dead man. The air was stale, and the villagers seemed robbed of their desire because of the sufferings of life. They were hunched over, and their faces looked pasty. They showed nothing but indifference toward the outside world.

鈥淜id.鈥?Roy beckoned the boy over, but he shook his head fearfully and scuttled off like a startled little beast.

The witchers were left with no choice but to find some clues through someone else. In most cases, no matter how small a village was, there were bound to be two buildings erected. One was the blacksmith鈥檚 shop, where the villagers could repair or buy farming equipment. It was also the place where the hunters would get some simple traps and arrowheads.

The other was an inn. Entertainment was scarce in villages, and most villagers would opt to have a mug of poor man鈥檚 fruit wine in the local inn after a day鈥檚 work. They would spend their time bragging to their friends, or if someone saw something interesting, they鈥檇 tell all about it to everyone who would listen. Inns were the go-to for news, as it flew around frequently there, and the innkeeper was the one who had the most news in hand.

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The White Orchard鈥檚 inn was located in the village鈥檚 center, and it was the most spacious building of all. The witchers went in hoping to get some news, but all they saw was a bored woman leaning over the counter, staring out the window absentmindedly.

鈥淚nnkeeper鈥︹€?The witchers took their hood off and knocked on the counter to snap the innkeeper out of her trance.

鈥淧raise Melitele! Finally, customers!鈥?The innkeeper looked joyous all of a sudden, and she wiped her hands on her apron. She beamed at the witchers, asking, 鈥淲hat would you like? Something to eat? Something to drink?鈥?/p>

鈥淭wo mugs of your signature, please.鈥?Roy sat on the stool before the counter and scanned the inn. It was decently spacious for a village that had few villagers. Ten tables were placed all over the establishment, but business was nothing but a whimper during this hour. There was only one customer in simple clothes sitting near the window. His back was turned to the witchers, and he was drinking in silence.

鈥淥f course. Two mugs of mixed fruit wine, coming up.鈥?The innkeeper went to prepare the order. She wasn鈥檛 young anymore, but she kept herself well, and her rear looked firm.

鈥淎hem. Business doesn鈥檛 seem too good, innkeeper.鈥?/p>

鈥淐all me Brenna. Business is in shambles. I don鈥檛 even get more than five customers every day. At this rate, I鈥檒l have to close up shop soon.鈥?The innkeeper shook the wine around, and her bosom started jiggling.

鈥淏renna.鈥?The witchers looked away. 鈥淭his village is peculiar. The villagers don鈥檛 seem to care about anyone.鈥?/p>

鈥淚s that weird? You must not be from around here, then.鈥?/p>

鈥淐an you tell us more about this village, then?鈥?/p>

鈥淚t鈥檚 a long story. Drink something first.鈥?Brenna filled their mugs with yellow liquid that glistened like melting butter.

Roy had a little taste, and the scent of mango, apple, and orange filled his mouth. He squinted happily. Letho, on the other hand, put his cup down after one sip. He preferred stronger alcohol.

鈥淭o tell you the truth, I only moved to this village three years ago because my cousin, Bram, persuaded me. I opened this inn then. The village was still a merry place years ago, and business was decent.鈥?/p>

鈥淲hat happened, then?鈥?/p>

鈥淚t鈥檚鈥︹€?Breanna hesitated for a moment, and she was gripped by fear. 鈥淪omething happened. Something terrible. Half the villagers died, and a lot of the remaining half fled to Vizima. The ones who were left behind became empty shells of themselves. They lost their families, and it gnawed away at them. They don鈥檛 like to talk anymore, nor do they care about anyone. All they do is eat, sleep, and toil away in the fields.鈥?/p>

鈥淲hy didn鈥檛 you move then?鈥?/p>

鈥淚鈥檓 just a widow. I spent all my gold to open this inn here in the White Orchard. Where else can I go?鈥?/p>

鈥淲hat really happened back then?鈥?/p>

The witchers kept asking, but Brenna just wouldn鈥檛 tell them the reason for the mysterious deaths, and they dropped it.

鈥淰ery well then. If you don鈥檛 wish to talk about it, then fine by us. Let鈥檚 talk about something else.鈥?Roy gulped down the rest of his wine.

鈥淩ecently鈥︹€?/p>

鈥淎 year, two years. Maybe even further back,鈥?Letho added. 鈥淎 man in similar attire came to this village as well. Do you remember him? He should have stayed in your inn for the night.鈥?Letho took his cloak off, revealing the black leather jacket, pauldrons, and chains beneath. It was standard Viper School equipment. He pointed at the pendant hanging before his chest, and he stared at Brenna.

Brenna trembled, her eyes widened in shock. 鈥淲itchers?鈥?she said, her voice trembling.

鈥淲e鈥檙e searching for a missing brother.鈥?Letho stared down at the ground, his voice cold and grim.

鈥淚 know nothing!鈥?The innkeeper retreated hastily, but her prompt denial told them she had the answer they wanted.

Letho stood and slowly marched toward the innkeeper, while Roy looked around them carefully. For some reason, the only customer in the inn was gone. Roy shook his head. He thought something was wrong, but he couldn鈥檛 put a finger on it. It was as if a fog were clouding his mind, obscuring some memories he wanted to remember. He went and stood guard at the door.

鈥淏renna, answer my question if you want nothing to happen. Where is he? Or more precisely, where is his body?鈥?Letho went around the counter. He cocked his eyebrow, and his voice was filled with unbridled fury, not unlike that of booming thunder.

鈥淚 do not know! Don鈥檛 come any closer!鈥?The innkeep held her hands before her chest. 鈥淚鈥檓 shouting!鈥?She opened her mouth, and her face was frozen in horror, but before she could shout, Letho made a sign in the form of a green inverted triangle.

It started spinning, drawing Brenna鈥檚 soul into it like a whirlpool. Everything turned black, and she lost consciousness.

鈥淲here is Kolgrim?鈥?/p>

鈥淗e is鈥︹€?Brenna stared at the sign blankly, like a puppet dancing by the strings. 鈥淗e is five miles due northeast of the orchard. In the tomb of the Verrieres Family.鈥?/p>

鈥淲ho is Verrieres?鈥?/p>

鈥淚gnatius Verrieres. He is the baron of the orchard.鈥?/p>

鈥淜olgrim died at the tomb of the baron鈥檚 family? Why did he go there?鈥?/p>

Brenna answered in an eerily calm and monotonous voice. 鈥淭wo years ago, Kolgrim the witcher came to the orchard and stayed at my inn. The villagers saw him, and unfortunately for him, Paul鈥檚 son鈥擵itty鈥攚ent missing at the same time. He thought the witcher was suspicious, since everyone says witchers love to take children away. That night, Paul reported the matter to the baron and persuaded him to lead his troops to capture Kolgrim. Witchers are notorious to begin with, and the baron thought investigations were a waste of time. He declared the witcher guilty of kidnapping and sentenced him to death by hanging.鈥?/p>

鈥淗e was hanged to death?鈥?Letho鈥檚 pupils became slits, and his voice was as cold as the winter wind.

鈥淣o. Kolgrim refused to beg for the baron鈥檚 mercy, but he requested trial by ordeal. He would clean the baron鈥檚 family tomb to prove his innocence.鈥?/p>

鈥淎nd?鈥?/p>

鈥淗e went into the tomb and never came back out.鈥?/p>

Letho fell into silence, and memories flashed in his mind. Kolgrim was young, handsome, and a stubborn witcher with a fancy mustache. He had the most talent in blacksmithing out of everyone in the school. Everyone could see that he was a master blacksmith. He would go on to carry out Ivar Evil-Eye鈥檚 final order, but before he left, he waved goodbye to the trio who stayed back to guard Gorthur Gvaed.

Even though it was a goodbye, Kolgrim still had a bright smile on his face. It was a more likable smile than Auckes鈥? He could still remember what Kolgrim said to them before he set out on his quest.

鈥淛ust you wait, Letho, Auckes, Serrit. Once I bring the blueprint back and make that sword, I鈥檒l defeat all of you! Only I can be Master Ivar鈥檚 successor!鈥?/p>

But now he鈥檚 dead? 鈥淲hat happened next? What is the truth? Did Kolgrim kidnap the son of the beekeeper?鈥?Letho asked quietly, staring down.

Brenna paused for a long time, but eventually, she said, 鈥淣ot long after the witcher went into the tomb, the villagers found Paul鈥檚 son downstream. He was killed by drowners, not the witcher.鈥?/p>

Letho heaved a long sigh, closed his eyes, and clenched his fists. 鈥淚t鈥檚 our fate to die this way, old friend. But your name should never have been sullied. I will clear it, I swear.鈥?/p>

Roy was listening, and he looked melancholic. He had never met Kolgrim before, and now he found out that his comrade had died because of a false accusation.

鈥淵our prophecy has come true, kid. Kolgrim did die in the White Orchard. You have proven your powers to look into the river of time. As promised, once we find the blueprint and make the weapons, we鈥檒l travel to Novigrad with you and await news from the White Wolf.鈥?/p>

He paused for a moment. 鈥淏ut before that, we must clear Kolgrim鈥檚 name.鈥?/p>

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to tell me that, Letho,鈥?Roy answered solemnly. 鈥淚 am a part of the Viper School. Avenging our comrade is what we should do.鈥?/p>

Letho nodded. He draped the black cloak over himself again, but he paused for a moment after he turned around. 鈥淏renna, what do you know about the great change that happened to this village?鈥?/p>

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