While Wayne was immersed in the thrill of opening treasure chests, a mysterious visitor arrived from afar at the elven ruins in Kaedwen. In a room located a hundred meters away from the non-human camp, four incense oil lamps cast their flickering glow in the corners, and an elaborate magic circle, drawn with expensive magical materials, adorned the center of the space.
At an indiscernible moment, the static magic top in the center of the circle began to rotate slightly, and an invisible magical force caused the entire circle to emit a subtle glow. With a thud, the space above the spinning top tore open, giving birth to an oval-shaped, void-like portal. After a few seconds of oscillation, the portal stabilized, and a slender figure adorned in a long white dress and purple cloak, face concealed by a hood, stepped out.
As the woman surveyed her surroundings with her enchanting eyes, she closed them after confirming her position. Her lips moved imperceptibly, and an unseen force emanated from her. Simultaneously, a hundred meters away from the magic circle, Toruviel, engrossed in camp affairs, suddenly froze, and the metal bracelet adorning her wrist trembled ever so slightly. The alteration in this magical accessory informed the female elf leader that the awaited person had finally arrived.
Certainly, in the dimly lit room, a graceful figure stood patiently waiting. Upon seeing the beautiful female elf by the portal, Toruviel promptly lowered her head, knelt on one knee, and spoke with reverence:
"Master Francesca, welcome. How may I serve you?"
Francesca, the female elf with long dark golden hair, captivating blue eyes, and an overall regal air, revealed a charming smile. Extending her delicate arms, she gently lifted Toruviel, saying:
"No need for formalities Toruviel. How are our people faring? I've brought supplies to sustain you for two months. They are placed just opposite the portal. Feel free to send someone to retrieve them."
Toruviel, expressing deep gratitude, felt her sincerity deepen. The refugees owed their secure existence in the elven ruins to the support of Lady Francesca. Without the provisions provided by the sorceress, this assembly of the elderly, weak, women, and children would find it impossible to endure a winter in the desolate forest.
In recognition of this, Toruviel rose, bowed slightly to Francesca, and continued:
"Master Francesca, with so many of us relying on your benevolence, we must have depleted your resources. Half a month ago, we cleared all the monsters from these ruins and amassed a considerable amount of precious metals and antiques. If you don't object, I would like to offer these findings as a token of our gratitude."
Francesca, upon hearing this proposal, displayed a hint of surprise on her countenance. She had provided Toruviel with the location of the ruins and was aware of the challenges posed by the numerous monsters within.
In her understanding, even with the less than twenty warriors in the Toruviel camp, defeating these monsters would likely result in heavy casualties. Yet, Toruviel wouldn't make such a claim lightly.
The elf sorceress inquired, "Toruviel, I've made preparations for quite some time, procuring numerous magic materials to aid in clearing the monsters from the ruins. I didn't anticipate you handling it on your own. Could you enlighten me on how you achieved this?"
Toruviel, being forthright, immediately shared with Francesca the details of hiring two witchers, Geralt and Wayne. She also mentioned the inaccessible treasure house. After listening to the account, the beautiful elf sorceress exhibited a touch of surprise in her eyes. She extended her white fingers, lightly tapped her lips, and after a few moments of contemplation, spoke:
"I've heard of Geralt the White Wolf and his formidable swordsmanship, active in the north for decades. As for the half-elf Witcher of the wolf school, Wayne, I'm unfamiliar with him. It seems he's a new apprentice. It's intriguing—a rare occurrence to hear of a new witcher, especially a half-elf."
"Your fortune is truly remarkable. Witchers are undoubtedly more adept and specialized in dealing with monsters compared to us warlocks. However, to cleanse the ruins entirely, the strength of both of them is commendable. The scarcity of Witchers, with less than twenty in the entire north explains the limited information about them."
As she spoke, Francesca retrieved a white veil from her pocket to conceal her appearance. She then offered another charming smile and remarked, "Let's go and visit the treasure house, to see what it holds. This elven dungeon belonged to an elf prince over 1000 years ago. Perhaps there are still treasures in his vault."
Toruviel had no objections to Francesca's suggestion. The elven female sorceress was not only one of the five core members of the Warlock Brotherhood, the most powerful spellcasting organization globally but also possessed elven royal blood, standing as one of the prominent figures in the elven clan. Even among the exceptionally beautiful sorceresses, Francesca was renowned as the world's most beautiful woman and represented the elves.
The two traversed most of the elven ruins and soon arrived at the treasure house guarded by the mysterious metal gate. Before Toruviel could speak, Francesca furrowed her brow and remarked, "According to ancient texts, there should be a magic power node in this treasure house. How is it that this node has been damaged and transformed into a spatial rift? Could something have changed in the past 1000 years?"
Toruviel faced with Francesca's inquiry could only shake her head, indicating her lack of knowledge.
The elf sorceress pondered, furrowed her brow for several seconds, and suddenly smiled, revealing her beauty. She commented, "Nevertheless, that's acceptable. The Kingdom of Kaedwen has consistently been harsh towards non-human races, leading to the demise of many of our people due to their despicable methods."
"Their king, Henselt, is a stubborn and savage bastard. He consistently dismisses the persuasions of our Warlock Brotherhood, displaying a repulsive attitude towards all spellcasters. He's simply an arrogant fool," Francesca expressed disdainfully. "This spatial crack could potentially allow less potent monsters from other worlds to enter here. Currently, I'm using spells to block it. In the future, when necessary, it should serve as a tool to teach Kaedwin a harsh lesson. Let that bastard know that without the assistance of a warlock, their so-called human army is nothing more than lunch for those alien creatures."
Toruviel, sharing the same resentment towards humans, naturally harbored no objections to Francesca's intentions. Following Francesca's instructions, she promptly gathered some magic materials and skilfully drew a advanced magic circle around the treasure house.
As the beautiful chants of the elf sorceress resonated through the air, a potent space lock materialized around the treasure house, brought to life by Francesca's vast chaotic magical power. At some point in the future, with the possession of the space key provided by Francesca, not only would this space lock be openable, but creatures from other worlds connected through the crack could also be unleashed, causing considerable trouble for the Kingdom of Kaedwen.