The Divine Hunter

The Isle of Temples, due north of Novigrad.

Inside the Hall of Eternal Fire, bright as day and warm as spring.

Archbishop Cyrus Engelkander Heimfa sat upright on the armchair with the orange fire emblem above the stone stairs in front of the hall, and his face covered with age spots looked kindly at the eighteen below the stone steps. people--

The sheriff in black, with a leather cap and a lamian whip around his waist, and seven temple guards of the eternal fire.

The vicissitudes of the archbishop's voice was full of admiration,

"In the past two years, the law and order of Novigrad has been greatly improved under your management, and the small evils of cheating and stealing chickens have been reduced by half. The once rampant human trafficking has also disappeared... The whole city has become safer, Prosperity, the church is more and more recognized and loved by the citizens, and the number of believers in the entire Nuocheng has increased by a full 20% compared with two years ago. This in disguise has promoted my promotion of eternal fire outside. efficiency."

He looked at the sheriff with admiration, "You have done a great job to the church."

"Sir Cyrus is overrated. All of this is your credit. Under your wise guidance, I can follow the path of light, eradicate the darkness of the world, and let the holy flame shine on the earth," Chapelle bowed. , said humbly, on the cheeks with mottled red spots, the eyes that reflected the metal color lost the coldness and indifference of the past, looking at the archbishop, full of admiration, like a child who worships his brother.

The old man nodded.

"You have worked for me for ten years. Most of my former sheriffs will be eroded by darkness after two or three years, blinded by prosperity, greedy for profit, and abandoning the eternal fire. And you are really rare..."

There was a complex color in his turbid eyes, with a hint of reluctance, his tone paused,

"Chapelle, pray again."

"Follow your orders, my lord!" Shapeshifter Chapelle raised his head, his icy face glowed with holy light, looking at the huge portrait of eternal fire on the dark gold wall behind the temple, and reciting prayers impassively word,

For a moment, he seemed to have returned to the night when he was tortured by the rolling memories in his mind, and was redeemed by the eternal fire.

"The flame protects the world. Those who stand in the light will never be harmed by evil.

The flame washes away the filth. Like a burn with a sore wound, the soul who has committed evil sins must be purified by fire.

No one can master the flame.

Those who block the way of the flames are playing with fire and setting themselves on fire.

If you dare to move a finger in front of the flame, the flame will burn it to ashes.

The flame ignites the darkness, and the evil hidden in the shadow will be revealed in the light of the flame, and those who hide their evil deeds in the darkness will be burned before the flame.

Brothers and sisters, we pray together. The flame protects the world and boils the dirt!

The flame protects the world and warms the road!

The flame purifies the evil and makes the evil disappear! "

The seven eternal fire guards echoed loudly, and the sound echoed in the entire hall of the temple, which was breathtaking.

The burning brazier on the high platform was inspired by the mystery, and Mars jumped and exploded.

"Chappelle, everything is fine with you, but one thing is disappointing." The archbishop nodded with satisfaction, his face suddenly solemn, his palms clasped in front of his chest, his chin supported, his eyes staring straight at the sheriff, There was a stern look in his eyes, "Why in the past two years, there have been more and more inhuman races in Novigrad, dwarves, elves, elves, mutants, as well as herbal doctors who use magic tricks, dream-seekers..."

"They occupy almost the entire southeastern urban area. You can see one of them by walking five steps on the street. Their number and proportion have broken the inherent balance of Nuocheng! Tell me, why is this?"

There was a sudden, unbearable silence in the hall.

Chapelle said calmly without changing his face.

"Sir Bishop, under the supervision of Eternal Fire, the non-human race has been living honestly, never harming anyone, and is more law-abiding than the gang members in the city, so I don't think it is necessary to suppress them. Arouse their resistance and rebellion. Psychologically, it can only backfire.”

"And shouldn't the eternal fire illuminate the world, guide all beings, and treat them as equals?"

"Confused! Chapelle!" The old man suddenly slapped the armrest with his left hand and reprimanded in a hoarse voice, "Inhuman races, inhuman races, they are not of the same mind as humans at all, dwarves have always worshiped Ma The holy mountain of Hakan, and the elves secretly want to restore their long-dead kingdoms, and those who play magic and sorcery also like to play with people's hearts."

"And mutants, not to mention, are a group of cold-blooded butchers who put their interests first, wandering around and linking all evil together!

The witcher is the head of all evil!

Their crimes have long been etched into their genes and blood, and they will never sincerely believe in eternal fire! Right now, keeping one's own rules is all disguise. When the number of the same kind is large enough, they will reveal their true colors, break the rules, praise their heresies, and douse our eternal fire. "

"Turn the entire Nuocheng into their world, and turn their rules into the rules of mankind!"

The sheriff clenched his fists and suddenly took a deep breath, a morbid flush on his face.

"Chappelle, the eternal fire has revealed to me in time... You have made friends with witchers, and you have become brothers and sisters with one of the three giants and collectors who play magic, and you have already embarked on a path of shadows that betrayed the flames."

"What you have done in Nuocheng has caused acne to form under the skin of this bright-looking city, but fortunately, it has not damaged the internal organs."

"It's not too late to repent now... I can let you continue to retain the power in your hand, but you have to make up for it!"

The archbishop stood up on the handrail and rushed to the sheriff's order under the steps,

"Rectify the territory of collectors and butchers, and impose heavy taxes on herbalists, dreamers, half-bloods, and dwarves - racial taxes, magic taxes, reduce the number of non-human races in the city, and restore the balance! Of course, this move should not be rushed. For a while, Xu Xutuzhi, I will give you half a year."

"Cough cough!" The old man took a deep breath, his age spots were stained red with blood, and he hammered his chest, "But there is no room for sloppiness and delay in another task! You must punish those mutants immediately and lead eternity. The Temple Guards of the Fire have wiped out their base on the outskirts of Novigrad! Cut off their evil deeds!"

"Novigrad must not be a shame for mankind!"

"Furthermore, warn the bards of the Nuocheng Song and Dance Hall to shut up and stop singing the witcher!"

"If you can do this beautifully!" The old man turned his eyes to him with deep expectation and encouragement, "then you will continue to serve as the sheriff of Eternal Fire!"

...

"Lord Cyrus... Your attitude in the past was far less extreme than it is today. You didn't always say that the peaceful coexistence of non-human races and humans made this city like the ocean to accept the trickle of rivers and prosper."

Chapelle's mouth curled into a suspicious smile, and her thin cheeks looked complicated.

"That was in the past, elves, dwarves, halflings, the numbers in the city were manageable and not a threat, but the situation has changed now."

"Look, I'm not asking you to get rid of them right now! Let's focus on those mutants now!"

Cyrus raised his head, some of his white eyes flashed with light, and he thought of a word or a transaction with Wygoforts again.

As long as the witchers in Nuocheng have no place to stand, then this powerful figure in the Northern Magic Association, the most popular mage in the eyes of the kings, will assist him and further spread the brilliance of the eternal fire.

It's not just the North this time.

Wigfortes and Nilfgaard also became friends.

He is willing to help himself with a message, and let Eternal Fire go to the southern territories to preach and compete with the Sun Cult!

Spreading the brilliance of eternal fire is more important than anything else!

Cyrus was old, and the only thing he wished for was to see the flames all over the world before he died.

The sheriff moved his lips, murmured a few words in a vague voice, shook his head and sighed, with a deadly expression on his face.

"Sorry, Bishop... I can't do what you ask."

"Is it because I'm too old and my ears are out of order?" The old man's eyes widened with disbelief.

How dare the loyal subordinates for ten years dare to question and refute themselves?

"Lord Cyrus," Chapelle looked up at the old man he had admired in the past, "you do this is tantamount to pushing the eternal fire to the end, which will destroy the great foundation that has flourished in the past two years? !"

"Furthermore, neither the non-human races in the city nor the master witchers outside the city have ever violated the law, and even assisted the church in handling the issue of public order perfectly! They have merit rather than fault, and they should not be blamed or slandered without reason. !"

"I know that you may have been deceived by someone with a heart to have a wrong perception. I will take you outside the city to confirm with your own eyes, how?!"

He bowed down and looked at the old man imploringly.

He knew that he could temporarily submit to the Archbishop and tip off the witcher, and he would escape his life.

But it didn't help, the witchers would never leave.

And the day he disguised himself as a sheriff, he made up his mind that he would never hide from XZ like a bereaved dog again!

Eternal fire is his final destination!

"Shut up, you still call them master? Have you been brainwashed by witchers?"

"Lord Cyrus, I'm just stating the facts."

"You have no cure!" The old man closed his eyes, his facial features were distorted, his expression was painful, and his eyes turned to the temple guards, "Take off his black robe of eternal fire, take off his Lamian whip, and take his holy Silverware... I declare, Chapelle, that from now on you are no longer the sheriff of the Eternal Fire!"

"You are not qualified to continue believing in the eternal fire! No," the old man held his chest and breathed heavily, his heart hurting more and more, "Novigrad has no place for you anymore. I limit you to leave the city within today! Never come back!"

Chapelle stared at the immortal flame, spread his hands without resistance, and was still disarmed by his former subordinates!

Is the confused archbishop still worthy of his trust and follow?

Will the eternal fire still be the beacon that once saved itself from the pain of confusion?

"Master Bishop..." A young guard who was searching for the sheriff suddenly changed his expression, "Master Chapelle...he...he..."

"Don't call him Lord! What's wrong with him?"

"He didn't carry holy silver!"

"Okay, Chapelle, that's how you practice the rules of the eternal fire? Take the lead in breaking the iron law of three centuries?!" The old man staggered down the steps, walked up to him, and grabbed his chest. The front of the shirt is about to burst into flames!

Every finger of his hand could not be stretched straight, and the inside and outside were covered with calluses. The whole looked like a small rake made of branches, pinning the sheriff in place.

"Your holy silverware?"

"In the bedroom." Chapelle said calmly, shaking her neck.

"You, go and get his things!" The old man gave an order, and suddenly changed his words. His cataracted eyes shot out a light as sharp as a falcon. He repeatedly looked at the sheriff. The latter looked at him calmly and calmly. The palms on the back of the waist ooze cold sweat,

"Wait a minute, seven of you, have you seen this guy wearing holy silverware on weekdays?"

"Sir Bishop, what you said..." The seven looked at each other with strange expressions on their faces, and shook their heads, "In the past year or two, I have never seen..."

"He also recently started befriending non-human races?!"

"Yes." The young guard who had been following Chapelle had a complicated expression.

The Archbishop instantly thought of a possibility!

His pupils contracted even more, his breathing was heavy, his trembling palms reached into the burqa around the neck, and pulled out a necklace in the shape of a torch that shone with silver light.

"catch him!"

Chapelle's morbidly thin cheeks suddenly flushed with blood, his expression froze, and he involuntarily took a step back.

The fear in the metallic eyes flashed away!

However, the three guards of the Eternal Fire all realized the problem, grabbed his two arms tightly, controlled his waist and legs, and made him unable to move at all,

The bishop's right thumb and forefinger pinched the silver torch and pressed it against the sheriff's forehead.

"Zizzi-"

In an instant, thick white smoke and colorful light erupted from Chapelle's body, and his skin and bones expanded and contracted like boiling water.

The normal human features on the face disappeared strangely, like the mud and flour that had been repeatedly kneaded and squirmed.

"Zizi-"

Two seconds later, everyone was watching.

The emaciated middle-aged man with a dignified face before disappeared, replaced by a strange humanoid creature.

He was wearing baggy suspenders. He was similar in size to a dwarf, but he had a surprisingly large head, packed with features, yellow eyes the size of rice grains, a round nose, and thick lips, bigger than a elf. Stubby pointed ears.

His face was still wrinkled like an old man in his seventies or eighties.

Going down, there is no obvious neck, and the chest and abdomen are connected into a ball.

His limbs were as long as a spider—

The two arms are like chimpanzees, hanging over the knees, the palms are also more than half the size of ordinary people, and the backs of the hands are covered with black hair.

A pair of feet twice as large as ordinary people, and the insteps are also covered with black hair.

"Transfiguration! Heresy! Blasphemy creation! How bold!" The bishop's eyes that were covered with white shading, like jade with a worn surface, shot out the color of extreme disgust.

"Bang!" He kicked his soft abdomen with all his might, knocking the shapeshifter to the ground.

The latter let out a horrific cry!

And the guards, whose faces were extremely shocked, immediately put him up again.

Take out the holy silverware from their respective clothes and cover his skin completely!

"Take him to the temple square!" The archbishop sat on the stone ladder, his heavy breathing sounded like a broken bellows, he supported the stone ladder with one hand and barely maintained his body, issued orders continuously, his eyes were full of disgust, and he wanted to eat his flesh and blood. !

Anger had consumed his sanity, and he ordered without hesitation,

"Call all the townspeople and believers!"

"Pile up with firewood and set up the stake!"

"I will burn this evil bed bug in front of the whole city, and avenge the real sheriff, Chapelle, my innocent sacrifice!"

"Yes, Bishop!"

...

On the other side, the two knights with outstanding appearance and bright temperament left the Nuocheng Dance Hall with regrets on their faces.

Looking at the street with people coming and going and the flowers blooming in the vase outside the store, I fell into a sluggishness.

"Master Dandelion, the owner of the dance hall, has gone far... It's too unfortunate, what should we do now? Geralt's clues are interrupted," the black-haired knight asked the blond knight beside him.

"Man, we've already arrived at Nuocheng anyway, so why wait a little longer?" Grim smiled openly. "It's a waste of time not to visit this bustling metropolis!"

"Let me teach you another truth, the brighter the city on the surface, the more heinous the sins in the dark, just like we are indifferent to the world, the paradise-like Toussaint also has a female night devil who secretly seduces men. "Grim touched the slashing sword at his waist, and his pupils shot out the excitement of preparing for a big fight, "Novigrad's sins will only be more."

"It's our turn to play!"

He patted Cassirer on the shoulder, "purify evil and practice great chivalry!"

"It's exciting to think that criminals in a city will become our grinding stones!"

"Grimm, you're always claiming chivalry, but along the way, you've done so many good people and good deeds." Cassirer followed behind him and walked down the street, "When will you be the best?"

"Have you heard the legend of the lady in the lake? When the lady in the lake shows up and bestows us the honorary title of knight of the Five Virtues, we will be consummated!"

"But at least we have to go somewhere with a lake? Isn't Nuocheng a sea port?"

"Don't worry, the time has come, what's the difference between the ocean and the lake?"

The two walked away while chatting, suddenly holding their feet.

The two suddenly saw that the crowd was heading north of the city, the bridge leading to the Temple Island was rapidly gathering, the old and the weak, women and children, businessmen and hawkers all rushed over.

At the entrance of the bridge, a group of men in black coats with fire emblems on their chests walked across the street, shouting loudly and greeting them everywhere.

"Families and elders of Nuocheng, come to the temple island soon!"

"The Guards have caught an evil shapeshifter!"

"He's disguised as Sheriff Chapelle!"

"Sir Bishop will preside over the burning ceremony!"

"Everyone goes to the ceremony!"

Grimm and Cassirer looked at each other.

Meteor stride past.

...

at the same time.

In the Gildorf district, at the entrance of a dark alley, Reins and the sorceress wearing a phantom mask went to the villa of collector Gawain Samsa, and disappeared in a flash.

...

The young demon hunter noticed the crowd quickly gathering towards the Temple Island, and after hearing the shouts of the temple guards, his expression changed greatly, he quickly found a secluded alleyway, and contacted the companions of Gawain's house through the telescopic crystal.