"Mother Nature above, are you saying you succeeded?!!"
Beneath the shade of an oak tree, Zebi Ortega danced with delight under the branches, performing a strange little dance—as if it were not Allen who had succeeded in meditation, but Zebi Ortega himself.
Simmons and Olga grinned broadly, showing their white teeth, and jumped along with their mentor.
Such pure joy made Allen feel a little ashamed and awkward. Using a witcher's control over his facial muscles, he forced out a bright smile and said: "Yes, Mentor Zebi Ortega. Last night, just as you taught me yesterday, I tried to forget about the goddess Melitele and meditate like an ordinary person who knows nothing."
"After trying several times, I really did make contact with a benevolent and majestic will…"
"That's right, that's right," Zebi Ortega laughed heartily. "Majestic and benevolent—that is Mother Nature. She is the mother of all living beings, the will of nature itself. She is life, and also annihilation…"
Simmons and Olga did not follow with a pious prayer. Instead, they smiled at Allen and eagerly asked: "What did it feel like the first time you entered the Sacred Grove? Wasn't it like your whole body—including your soul—was cleansed by pure water, filled with strength?"
It wasn't the first time, and there was no feeling of being cleansed by pure water or gaining power at all… Allen thought to himself. The corners of his mouth lifted as he was just about to nod and make something up.
"Don't be so presumptuous, Simmons, Olga," Zebi Ortega interjected, cutting Allen off. "Allen is already a powerful witcher—a Wolf School witcher master who deserves to be addressed as Master Allen in any setting."
"If he weren't drawn to the Path of Nature, I wouldn't even be qualified to be his mentor…"
"You're overstating it," Allen said quickly. "Even if I weren't drawn to the Path of Nature, your wisdom alone would still be worth my pursuit and study."
Zebi Ortega shook his head, but in his heart he grew ever more satisfied with his new apprentice.
Few children at Allen's age were so sensible, already knowing that humility is the foundation of virtue. He hardly seemed like a witcher at all—not even a Wolf School witcher.
Though Zebi Ortega now spent his days secluded within the Mayena Druidic Circle, contemplating the Path of Nature, he had traveled the world in his youth and encountered countless witchers.
And so he knew well: a normal witcher was absolutely not like Allen.
A typical witcher freshly descended from the Trial of the Grasses—whether Wolf, Bear, Cat, Griffin, or Viper—had only one defining trait: arrogance mixed with restlessness.
They wielded power that transcended ordinary mortals, and they walked a path of sacrificing themselves to save others.
Some schools' witchers, after years of harsh training and trials, and long separation from human society, even went astray, becoming harsher and more extreme.
That was why every witcher school required three to five years of wandering trials—even the cruel and despicable Cat School.
Those mentors on the wandering trials were less teachers of worldly knowledge than wardens, restraining those children so they would not harm others—or themselves.
But a child as sensible as Allen was almost unheard of. No wonder he had made such a great name for himself in just a single year.
"Don't dwell on what Simmons and Olga said about being filled with strength or purified," Zebi Ortega said seriously. "That's merely the normal sensation of body and soul being tempered by natural power. The weaker one is, the more obvious it feels. For you, it might very well be barely noticeable at all…"
"It really wasn't very obvious," Allen smiled obediently. "But walking within the Sacred Grove does bring improvement—it's quite miraculous. Still, I thought you might say it was a gift from Mother Nature."
"That is the soul resonating with the Sacred Grove. Naturally, both spirit and body are tempered," Zebi Ortega nodded in explanation. "It is indeed a gift from Mother Nature. But the druidic faith—especially our Mayena Druidic Circle—is unlike the churches of the gods. We do not emphasize fanatical devotion to Mother Nature."
"As I said before, Mother Nature has no need of mortal faith. We druids need only remember to safeguard the inherent balance of the world and nature."
"I understand," Allen replied at once, nodding.
Zebi Ortega inclined his head slightly, then sat cross-legged beneath the oak's shadow and began formally explaining the essentials of exploring the Sacred Grove and cultivating the Path of the Druid.
"What is the Sacred Grove?" Zebi Ortega asked first.
But he directed the question not at Allen, but at Simmons beside him.
"The Sacred Grove is the divine realm of Mother Nature, the crystallization of natural law," Simmons answered fluently.
"The Sacred Grove is the divine realm of Mother Nature—but Mother Nature's divine realm is not limited to the Sacred Grove alone," Zebi Ortega added. "Taking Mahakam and the Kestrel Mountains as the boundary, west of that line—most of Temeria and Redania, along with smaller kingdoms like Cidaris—lies within the reach of the Sacred Grove."
"Other regions, such as Kaedwen and Skellige, also have their own sanctuaries of the Path of Nature."
"Some are forests similar to the Sacred Grove, while others are towering mountain ranges, vast oceans, or murky swamps…"
"In every sanctuary, what is revealed within is the same origin. Only the outward form differs—just as lush green forests are nature, raging seas are nature, and violently erupting volcanoes are also nature."
"At the root, they are all the same."
So that's why I happened to be in Melitele's Temple when I used the Essence of the Leshen… Allen understood inwardly. If he had returned to Kaer Morhen and absorbed it there, it wouldn't have been the Mayena Druidic Circle.
Fortunately so—truth be told, he didn't even know where the Kaedwen Druidic Circle was.
And considering the hostility of Ban Ard and Kaedwen's royal nobility toward witchers, the Kaedwen circle probably wouldn't have been nearly as easy to enter as Mayena.
"And because of differences in outward manifestation, druids comprehend at different speeds in different sanctuaries," Zebi Ortega continued. "Some druids gain more insight in forests, some at sea, some in swamps…"
"That's why, after achieving mastery beyond the apprentice stage, druids often travel the continent, moving among different druidic circles."
"Only after becoming a Great Druid do they choose one circle to settle in, meditating continuously for long periods in hopes of delving deeper into the origin."
"Most druidic circles are quite welcoming to such traveling druids, and treat them as their own."
Zebi Ortega looked at Simmons and Olga. "Both Simmons and Olga have been to the Skellige Isles, Toussaint, Kaedwen, and the Dragon Mountains…"
"Allen, in the future you can also visit druidic circles across the world. Even if you don't gain deeper insight at other sanctuaries, it will still be of great benefit to your path as a druid."
"After all, nature is not only forests."
"However, most druids gain their deepest insight from the first sanctuary they enter," Olga added. "I've been to several druidic circles, but in the end I returned to Mayena."
Simmons said, "I actually gained deeper insight at the Caed Myrkvid Druidic Circle in Toussaint, but I still chose to come back."
"That place is also a druidic holy land. Its sanctuary is a forest like the Sacred Grove, but Caed Myrkvid's is a dangerous forest of alders and beeches."
"Why?" Allen asked curiously.
Simmons and Olga exchanged a glance, then smiled proudly. "Because we have a Grand Mentor. The Grand Mentor of the Mayena Druidic Circle is the druid with the deepest understanding of nature in the entire Northern Continent—known as the Reindeer Druid, the one closest to Mother Nature…"
"Don't say that!" Zebi Ortega frowned and cut Simmons off. "Every druidic circle's Grand Mentor is a pioneer of the druidic path worthy of respect. Do not make such comparisons."
Simmons shrank back, scratched his head, shot Allen a look, and fell silent.
"Still, the Grand Mentor truly is more willing than others to teach young druids," Olga smoothed things over. "That's why optimistic druids born of the Sacred Grove—unless their insight is truly lacking—usually choose to remain in the Mayena Druidic Circle."
"It's just a pity that the Grand Mentor has been too busy lately searching for the golden-furred beast," Simmons said regretfully, looking at Allen. "You might miss your chance…"
Like Zebi Ortega, Simmons and Olga had both grown fond of this young yet already famous witcher over the past few days.
At the bonfire feast two nights ago, they had learned that Allen wouldn't be staying long at the Mayena Druidic Circle before leaving again.
And after all, Allen was fundamentally a witcher. The Path of the Druid was only an interest—it would be difficult for him to remain long in any one circle.
"Allen," Simmons couldn't help but advise, "compared to being a witcher, the Path of the Druid actually—"
"Enough, Simmons!" Zebi Ortega was genuinely angry this time, glaring at him. "The Wolf School's Path of Honor is a road worthy of respect. Do not sully it with words…"
"And who says Allen has no chance?"
No chance at what…? Allen was momentarily stunned. The Grand Mentor's teachings?
"Sorry," Simmons apologized immediately, as if long accustomed to this.
"It's fine," Allen shook his head, though his thoughts drifted to the Wolf School grandmaster at Kaer Morhen—who had followed the Path of Honor all his life, only to become disillusioned in the end, his Legacy Vessels collapsing.
"Let's continue," Zebi Ortega said, shaking his head and returning to the topic. "Entering the Sacred Grove is a requirement for a druid apprentice to advance to full druid. As long as one has some talent in the Path of Nature, it isn't difficult."
"To pass through the 'grassland' where you stand and step into the 'forest' requires at least several years of insight. And within the 'forest', to move from the peaceful 'oak' into the 'aspen', step into the 'spruce', and finally enter the 'banyan'—that takes decades, centuries, or even an entire lifetime without ever reaching it…"
Zebi Ortega sighed with emotion.
Allen, however, was left somewhat stunned.
From the 'grassland' to the 'forest'—to the oak—required "several years"?
That meant that, judging by Simmons's and Olga's ages, they were likely only at the 'oak' stage—the very realm Allen was about to cross into.
He had thought that only after leaving the "grassland" would a druid apprentice officially advance to become a druid…
"Mentor Ortega," Allen couldn't help asking, "may I ask which stage you're currently at?"
"There's nothing you can't ask," Zebi Ortega nodded gently. "I've only just entered the spruce not long ago. I still can't see the shadow of the banyan…"
The Grand Mentor was beyond the banyan, at the nameless lake. So between the Grand Mentor—who had already completed a Sacred Form—and Zebi Ortega, there was still an entire major realm of the banyan separating them?
And between Zebi Ortega and me, there was only a single aspen…
Allen suddenly realized something, feeling momentarily dazed. It took him some effort to control his expression before he forced a smile and said, "Please continue."
Zebi Ortega, completely unaware, nodded and went on:
"By walking and advancing within the Sacred Grove, druids gain natural power, as well as prayer arts granted by Mother Nature…"
"You should already have felt the former. As for the latter, each time one passes through a stage of the Sacred Grove—such as stepping from the 'grassland' where one stands into the 'forest', or from the 'oak' to the 'aspen'—Mother Nature will bestow a prayer art…"
"Only one prayer art?" Allen immediately snapped back to attention and couldn't help interrupting. "While advancing through the 'grassland' and the 'forest', won't one gain a few more prayer arts?"
"Of course not. Walking through the various regions of the Sacred Grove only strengthens a druid's natural power," Zebi Ortega shook his head. "But don't worry—prayer arts aren't obtained only from the Sacred Grove. Otherwise, druids wouldn't be able to travel the Northern Continent on their own…"
"As long as you can step out of the 'grassland' and enter the 'forest', I can teach you a basic prayer art, Boiling Blood. You can also freely obtain Nature's Sight from the Mayena Druidic Circle."
"They're both quite practical prayer arts, and can be of considerable help even to a witcher."
"As for other prayer arts, you'll need to complete tasks for the druidic circle, accumulate merit, and exchange for them."
"Of course, prayer arts learned through self-study are certainly not as powerful as those bestowed by Mother Nature. We call the prayer arts obtained from the Sacred Grove divinely granted prayer arts, or origin prayer arts…"
So they weren't all learned in the Sacred Grove… Allen asked again, "Then how many beginner… basic prayer arts are there in total?"
This time, it was Olga who answered: "Five. Boiling Blood, Nature's Sight, Concealment Mark, Beast Befriending, and Nature's Gift."
I also learned one more—the one with the most effects, and seemingly the strongest: Plague Curse…
Why was the difference so great?
Mother Nature isn't Melitele. Her consciousness is chaotic—there shouldn't be any favoritism, closeness, likes or dislikes…
Was it because of the Essence of the Leshen? Or because of the Child of a Miracle? Or perhaps the Witcher's Journal?
Allen fell silent, thoughts turning endlessly in his mind.
.......
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