Nature was resonating.
As Fred approached, Allen felt an involuntary tug in his heart, a faint sense of connection stirred within him as he looked toward the young witcher.
And when Fred's gaze landed on Allen's room, that resonance intensified—like the bloodline echoing described in the fantasy novels of Allen's past life.
No—
It was even stronger than that.
This was a higher form of resonance.
In the world of witchers, there was no real concept of "natural elements." Among the druids—whether they were knights, archers, sorcerers, humans, dwarves, or elves—the roles were varied, but druids functioned more like priests of divine power, wielding magic of a very particular kind.
Priests drew their sacred power from their deities, using named spells and divine magic to spread their gods' teachings.
But druids believed their power was granted to maintain the balance of the world and nature.
In that sense, druids were more than followers of nature—they were its priests, vessels of the world's will itself.
So then…
What did it mean, that Allen could sense a natural resonance in Fred?
"Noth—"
Fred instinctively tried to deny it, but when he turned and saw it was Allen who had spoken, he paused, glancing again at the closed wooden door.
He was silent for a few seconds. Only after stepping out of the cabin did he quietly say,
"I can't explain it… it's just that behind that door… there's something that feels close. Familiar. Like…"
"Like this?" Allen placed his right hand on a low-hanging linden branch.
A faint green glow flashed over his palm.
Hummm~
The witcher medallions on several of their chests began to hum simultaneously.
And then—
The withered buds at the tip of the linden branches bloomed once again into cascades of delicate yellow flowers.
The flowers—each the size of a pinky nail—burst open with a sweet, rich fragrance that filled the air.
"Whoa! Captain… Captain, the— the flowers bloomed!"
The one who spoke wasn't Fred, but Spencer, who had just been chatting with Klar when he happened to turn around and witness the scene.
The others quickly followed Spencer's gaze, eyes drawn to the freshly blooming flowers of the linden tree.
Linden trees were among the most common species on the Northern Continent. Though not used in witcher alchemy or potions, they were everywhere—especially in the Melitele Temple, where it seemed there was one every few steps.
On the one hand, the tree's wood was fine-grained and soft—perfect for carving. Many of the temple's sacred statues and blessed charms were made from it.
On the other, its blossoms were loved by bees. The temple even kept beehives for this very reason.
So whether young witchers like Erni and Klar, or veterans like Fred, Vesemir, and Danthe, they all knew very well: the linden tree's flowering season had long since passed.
Only Lysa showed no surprise.
She'd just seen far stranger things.
Instead, as everyone turned their gaze toward Allen, she took the opportunity to study his face in secret, her eyes shifting from infatuation and reluctance… to a sudden resoluteness, as if she'd made an important decision.
Vesemir, who had lived long enough to witness all manner of wonders, instantly recognized the druidic magical aura in the air. But he simply watched in thoughtful silence.
He had long grown numb to Allen's endless stream of new abilities.
Or rather—he had already anticipated this.
Back when Allen tamed the Royal Griffon near Adria Mountain, east of Vengerberg, using Beast Tongue, Vesemir had suspected that this day would come.
Now, his pupil, already a genius witcher, a prodigy in alchemy and magic, seemed ready to add "genius druid" to the list.
"Captain… what kind of Sign was that? Can we learn it too?"
Clay pushed his way through the other young witchers, eyes wide with excitement as he carefully examined the one blooming branch among the otherwise bare limbs.
Klar, who usually would've started bickering with Clay for being shoved aside, didn't say a word this time. After hearing Clay's question, he simply turned to Allen with an eager look.
"Maybe," Allen replied with a smile, gazing at the cluster of curious young heads stacked in front of him.
He lifted his left hand, and with a faint shimmer of green light, another dried branch on the linden tree bloomed into fresh flowers.
Gasps of awe echoed around him.
"As long as you learn the 'Wild Speech' I'm about to teach, maybe one day you'll be able to do this too."
Of course, it wasn't that simple.
Only those who could grasp an elemental force within the domain of nature could wield such power with ease.
Yes—the domain of nature.
Allen had classified the element he absorbed from the Leshen as belonging to the domain of nature.
If he had to give it a name, it would be: Growth Element.
However, whether this "domain" truly existed as a formal system, or if other elements such as Withering, Hunting, or Concealment existed as he imagined, he wasn't sure.
He'd have to wait until he acquired more elements to ponder and connect the dots. Maybe one day the Witcher's Journal would update his personal interface and add an "Element" tab. Or perhaps he could find someone knowledgeable—like that Druid in the form of a stag—to ask directly.
As for the Growth Element itself, its function was just as the name suggested: it allowed Allen to expend mana to rapidly accelerate the growth of plant life—and with impressive precision.
He could manipulate roots and vines to erupt from the ground and bind enemies, just like the Leshen had done. Or he could fill a room with blooming flowers out of season, like the one behind his door.
That said, he couldn't yet command hundreds or thousands of flowers to bloom at once. That level of power had probably only been possible during the moment of elemental absorption, when the raw essence of nature itself had empowered the magic beyond its normal limits.
At present, Allen could only grow two or three plants at once, and only on a limited scale—things like extending vines or sprouting small blossoms. He couldn't instantly grow an entire sapling into a towering tree, for instance.
Still, even within those limits, the Growth Element significantly enhanced his combat capabilities.
Because, like his instinctual abilities, it required no spell incantation or gestures—he could cast it instantly.
As long as there were plants nearby—or he carried seeds—he could lash out with vines mid-battle, seizing or tripping enemies. With enough practice, he could swing his sword and command roots simultaneously—easier than casting a Sign with one hand while fighting.
Granted, he wasn't there just yet.
But even outside of combat, just having a few seeds on hand meant he could cultivate specific alchemical herbs when needed, especially if he was running low on ingredients for a potion. This dramatically reduced the weight burden of his pack.
Sure, he couldn't conjure animal parts, but being able to summon plants was already a huge advantage.
He gave this vague explanation to the young witchers to satisfy their curiosity, then turned to Fred—whose mouth was slightly open in amazement.
"Is that the feeling you meant?"
Fred, still staring at the yellow blossoms, finally snapped out of his trance and nodded in astonishment.
"Yes—that's exactly it. It feels warm and gentle, like something calling out to me. And I feel like…"
He hesitated for a moment, then slowly extended a finger toward a nearby branch.
Hummm~
His medallion trembled ever so slightly.
"It moved! It moved!" Ice gasped, covering his mouth in shock.
The flower branch beneath Fred's fingertip trembled slightly. Slowly, a green bud swelled, changed color, and then bloomed.
The sweet fragrance in the air intensified.
"Allen, this…" Vesemir, who had just seemed calm, suddenly widened his eyes in shock.
Danthe stood frozen for a few seconds in stunned disbelief. But upon hearing Vesemir's words, his expression suddenly changed. "The Leshen's soul is still inside Fred!"
Fred's face also went pale at that. It was as if the soft bud had stung him—he jerked his hand away in alarm.
"No," Allen said calmly, patting Fred on the shoulder. "Don't worry. You were examined thoroughly by a senior priestess when we returned."
"There's no way the Leshen's soul is still in your body."
Of this, Allen was absolutely certain. The monster hunt's settlement results had been finalized, and that Leshen was definitely, completely dead.
As for this element-like ability that Fred had just demonstrated—it most likely was an elemental imprint, one that had merged with him when the Leshen was destroyed by the power of Melitele's amulet.
In fact, Allen had already noticed something odd right after the Leshen was slain.
Back then, right where Fred had collapsed, a small vine had sprouted from the ground. It hadn't been enough to be sure at the time.
Looks like this kid really had a blessing in disguise.
"Did Fred also learn the Wild Speech?" Clay asked, looking at Fred with envy.
Fred blinked. "What's the Wild Speech?"
"I'll teach you over the next few days," Allen interrupted, cutting off Clay, who had just opened his mouth again. "Try again now—was that your fastest speed?"
Following Allen's instruction, Fred tried again and again, but after only a few attempts, he looked dizzy and worn out.
While observing him, Allen focused his thoughts and cast an appraisal.
-----------------------------------
[Name: Fred]
[Loyalty: 100]
[Attributes:]
[Strength: 15 (+1)]
[Agility: 11 (+2)]
[Constitution: 13 (+1)]
[Perception: 19 (+10)]
[Arcane: 27 (+20)]
-----------------------------------
As expected.
Fred's Strength, Agility, and Constitution likely improved over the past six months while traveling with Danthe. But his Perception and Arcane stats—those were clearly gained from the Leshen's possession.
Tsk tsk…
A flat twenty-point increase in Arcane.
To be honest, Allen himself was tempted to find another Leshen and let it possess him too.
Of course, with nearly 120 points in Arcane already, it was unlikely to boost his stats much—after all, possession wasn't like Essence Elixirs or Purity Spirits that ignored level and base stats.
But for Fred, with his current stats, just a few essence elixirs and purification doses would be enough for him to reach Witcher Master level in both Perception and Arcane.
"Maybe Fred should follow the Griffin School path," Allen thought.
He had originally planned to bestow the Captain's honor on Hughes. Among Hughes, Bond, and Fred—whose stats weren't far apart—Hughes had the closest bond with him.
But now, after absorbing part of the Growth Element, Fred was the more fitting choice.
"I'm feeling a little dizzy," Fred muttered, pulling Allen back from his thoughts.
Allen glanced at Fred. The boy was pale and clearly drained—he had tried his best and only managed to bloom three small yellow flowers. Compared to Allen's full, cascading clusters, it wasn't even close.
But it wasn't just a matter of stats like Perception and Mana. Allen could feel it—Fred's natural resonance, though fundamentally the same, was far less "pure."
It was like the "concentration" of Fred's Growth Element was only a tenth of Allen's.
"I wonder when the Witcher Codex will finally update the element tab on the personal panel…" Allen sighed internally.
He was sure the Codex had data on elements. But because of that annoying principle—"knowing too much before you're ready isn't always a good thing"—it remained hidden.
But then…
"What kind of being could make the Codex so cautious that it hides even elemental information? What kind of power qualifies as 'ready'? Is surpassing 'Limit: Origin' enough?" Allen pondered, puzzled.
"Allen? How did I do?" Fred asked tentatively.
Allen came back to his senses and smiled. "You've got some luck on your side. Go check on Hughes and Bond first. When we're back, I'll teach you a new trick."
-----------------------------------
Hughes, Bond, and the others—Furi and Iron Shield—had all been placed in the same ward for convenience.
But the Witchers didn't stay long. Barely had they stepped into the ward before they stepped right back out.
Because Hughes—who Lysa had said was awake—had eaten dinner, had his bandages changed, and then immediately fallen into a deep sleep again.
"He tried to stay awake when he heard you were coming," explained Cirilla, an elderly caretaker. "But after I changed his dressings, he looked exhausted. Should I wake him?"
Naturally, the Wolf School Witchers declined.
Even though they were leaving for Kaer Morhen at dawn and likely wouldn't see Hughes again until after the autumn equinox.
Bond and the two Drakenborg shield-guards were also still unconscious. Aside from the badly wounded shield-guard, Bond wasn't seriously hurt—he had simply gone into shock from blood loss.
Allen performed an appraisal on Hughes and Bond as well.
Unfortunately, the results were disappointing—just some standard stat increases.
Clearly…
Not all suffering brings rewards.
Fred had simply been an exception.
Though Hughes and Bond weren't in any real danger, they still needed time to recover. After leaving the infirmary, the mood among the Wolf School Witchers turned somber. They walked in silence to the temple dining hall and ate without much energy.
Even Clay and Spencer—who had been pestering Allen and Fred to "demonstrate" the Wild Speech spell again—were quiet.
After dinner, Allen, Vesemir, and Danthe went with Lysa—who had some business with Ianna—to the reception hall, as planned, to wait for Tissaia de Vries.
But to everyone's surprise…
They waited for a long time, and the one who finally arrived… wasn't Tissaia de Vries.
.........
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