Witcher of UA

Chapter 26

The next day, Vesemir was on crutches. He didn't leave his room unless he had to. He didn't want people to see him weak. He slowly but methodically applied layers of paint to the canvas. Someone knocked on the door.

"Please come in. The door is open."

Midnight entered with a tray. Miso soup, rice, and tea. She closed the door behind her with her hip and glanced at Vesemir. She was wearing a navy blue sweater and black pants.

"You weren't in the cafeteria for breakfast. Why didn't you come, Vesemir?"

"I decided I'd go to the cafeteria when there were fewer people there."

"Why?"

Vesemir spread his arms, showing off his wounds.

"Because I look like a cripple."

Midnight sighed softly and set the tray down on the table. Before she could say anything, Vesemir spoke.

"I have no one to blame for my injuries but myself."

Midnight slowly and calmly approached and sat down in the chair next to him.

"It was a decision made in a moment of crisis, with others in mind. That's how heroes work."

Vesemir's voice was quiet...stern...scolding...not her, but himself.

"It wasn't courage. It was necessity...and stupidity. I should have been better prepared."

Midnight didn't respond immediately. She let his words hang in the silence. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Vesemir...I'm not angry that you went alone...in fact, none of us are angry with you...we are sad that we didn't earn your trust...It's our fault you went alone."

"I didn't want to endanger anyone."

"Really? And that girl who went with you? Tsuyu?"

"It was...necessity."

"Oho? What necessity? Are you cheating on Yui?"

Vesemir looked at her with irritation, frowning. Midnight smiled slightly, tilting her head.

"What? I'm an R18 Hero after all. I'm quite... provocative."

Her gaze returned to normal... she was now looking at the boy with concern.

"I see how Yui looks at you. I also know that Nejire was in this room while you were unconscious. Do you know what that means?"

Vesemir turned his gaze to the painting. He applied another coat of paint with a dab of his brush. Midnight continued.

"It means they're worried. That they love you."

"I'll just be a burden to them."

"You're not a burden, Vesemir. You're a boy who for too long believed he had to carry the world on his shoulders... you had no other choice... but now you do."

"I'm doing what must be done."

"No, Vesemir... you don't have to... No one will expect that of you."

"You're wrong, Lady Midnight. I expect that of myself. The last fight showed me my lack of knowledge and training. Something like this must never happen again."

A knock on the door. Hound Dog entered.

"Vesemir... someone has come to the school to speak with you... says you know him... His name is Letho..."

Vesemir froze. The brush in his hand stopped mid-stroke. He looked at Hound Dog, as if unsure if he had heard correctly.

"Letho...?"

Hound Dog nodded.

"Yes... since you know him... we'd like to know who he is before we let him onto the school grounds... can you tell us anything about him? Is he hostile?"

"He's a witcher from the school of the viper... I'm from the school of the wolf... Letho and my grandfather Geralt have... a very long history. They fought side by side, but also... fought against each other. I spent several months with him before he disappeared... to who knows where..."

Midnight looked at Vesemir with concern.

"Do you know what kind of man he is?"

Vesemir raised his eyes and looked Midnight straight in the eyes. His face betrayed no emotion, but his voice was serious. Slow. Cautious... Midnight had never heard Vesemir speak in such a tone...

"Letho is a killer. Ruthless. He has no mercy. He is a Kingslayer... he killed several kings in the North to create chaos, which Nilfgaard exploited."

Midnight stiffened at these words. She glanced at Hound Dog, who also looked worried. Nezu spoke over the speakers.

"Should he be arrested?"

Vesemir's lip twitched in a strange smile.

"Not at all, Mr. Nezu. Let him in. I would be happy to speak with him."

Vesemir stood slowly, leaning on his crutches, and moved toward the door.

.

.

.

The sound of Vesemir's crutches echoed down the hall with every step he took. Midnight followed him a few steps behind, not saying a word. She was tense. Hound Dog was no different.

"Relax. If Letho wanted to kill us, we would have known by now. I kind of scared you."

"Wait... did you lie to us?"

Midnight asked the boy, eyes wide.

"Oh no. I didn't lie. Everything I said was true."

Vesemir replied, then opened the door to the room where Aizawa, Nezu, and... Letho were waiting.

It was Letho... the real Letho... the one who disappeared two years ago... He wore long combat trousers full of pockets, modern combat boots, and a leather vest...

"Letho..."

Vesemir began, but Letho interrupted him.

"I'm ashamed of you, boy. You made a number of mistakes. You underestimated Queen Endrega. You took a girl with you to certain death. You were too slow. You didn't prepare any traps and didn't have the right bombs. These are just a few of your mistakes, and there are many more."

Vesemir clenched his jaw. He stood, leaning on his crutches, looking at the older witcher with a mixture of shame and stubbornness. Letho stepped closer. There was no aggression in his voice, but everyone in the room except Nezu shifted uneasily. Letho nudged Vesemir's shoulder.

"Good to see you, young one. Did you miss Uncle Letho?"

"I didn't know if you were still alive."

The older witcher snorted and folded his arms.

"And yet I'm alive. And from what I can see, you're barely alive."

Aizawa glared at Letho.

"Leave my son alone."

Letho didn't even turn to face him.

"You're no father. Come on. Pack your bags, young one, because I'm taking you to America."

Midnight narrowed her eyes, moving a little closer to Vesemir, as if instinctively wanting to stand between him and Letho.

"You're not taking him anywhere!"

Aizawa stepped closer.

"Over my dead body."

Letho just continued to stare at Vesemir.

"Everyone here treats you like a child who needs to be spared. And you're a witcher. You need real training."

He turned to Aizawa.

"And you better not tempt me."

Nezu, still silent, finally spoke calmly, but his voice was full of authority.

"I kindly ask everyone to calm down... Mr. Letho is a Pro Hero from the USA. He's been climbing the rankings for a year now. He's currently ranked 72nd in the USA. Mr. Letho... we can't just let you take our protégé. Besides, Aizawa-sensei is his father and therefore his legal guardian. You can't take Vesemir anywhere without his consent."

Letho raised an eyebrow at Nezu's words.

"Right. I forgot that there are strange laws in your world... but how are you so sure that this guy is his father?"

Aizawa replied with an uncharacteristic tension in his voice.

"We did genetic testing. They confirmed the relationship. You don't have to believe me, but the data is clear."

Vesemir, who had been silent until now, sighed heavily.

"Enough."

Everyone looked at him.

"Letho... Mr. Nezu is right. Aizawa is my father... whether I want him to or not. You can't just take me away."

The older witcher narrowed his eyes, glaring at the boy.

"So you want to stay here and wallow in your weakness? You have no intention of developing?"

"No. I want to be stronger, but life dealt me these cards and no other. If I escape with you, you'll be hunted."

"Yeah... not the first time, young one."

Nezu put down his cup of tea.

"Mr. Letho... you can't legally take Vesemir away from here... but you can legally become a teacher here..."

Letho raised an eyebrow, as if he didn't believe what he'd just heard. He looked at Nezu with a sneer.

"A teacher? What am I supposed to teach?"

"You will teach how to fight and survive against monsters. Our world has changed, and with it, we must prepare the next generation of Pro Heroes for challenges like the Endregas. You will teach not only Vesemir, but also other students. A new position as a monster teacher will be created. I want you to accept this offer."

Letho stared at Nezu for a long moment, as if trying to decipher whether this was a joke, a provocation, or perhaps a test. Aizawa spoke.

"Headmaster... you can't be serious..."

"Aizawa-sensei. We need him because I don't want our students dying due to a lack of knowledge about new threats. The Endregas were a difficult opponent... what if even more monsters appear that the Pro Heroes won't be able to fight? Remember the Wraith?"

Letho cleared his throat. He sensed an opportunity to make money.

"I've made a life for myself in the US... I started my own agency... I have certain obligations... these things won't be cheap..."

Nezu didn't bat an eyelid. He calmly reached for the documents hidden under the table.

"We offer an on-campus apartment, an operating budget, access to supplies, and an annual salary of 14 million yen per month, with the possibility of renegotiation."

"How much is that in dollars?"

"According to today's exchange rate, about 94,000."

Midnight crossed her arms, still clearly wary. The guy initially receives 4 million more than the other teachers when they started at UA....

Letho raised an eyebrow.

"Per month? Come on... Principal, are you trying to bribe me or propose to me?"

Nezu smiled with his eyes closed, as if that answer was exactly what he expected.

"Let's consider this an investment in our students' future."

Letho scratched the back of his neck and looked at the ceiling, giving himself time to think.

"Okay. Apartment, equipment, alchemy workshop, and a greenhouse for growing herbs..."

He looked at Vesemir.

"And for the young one, private training. I have no intention of teaching kids at the expense of his education. Plus, I need help with my license. I need to be able to operate in Japan as a Pro Hero."

Nezu nodded.

"I can do it."

Aizawa started to respond, but Nezu raised his paw.

"Aizawa... no."

Midnight looked at Nezu with slight disbelief.

"Nezu... are you sure this is the right choice?"

Letho sneered.

"Not just a good choice, but a great choice. Relax. I won't kill your students. At most, there will be a few broken bones to start with."

Hound Dog, who had been quiet until now, spoke up.

"I have something to say."

Everyone looked at him. Even Letho.

"Before you sign anything... I want to ask you one thing, Letho."

"Ask."

"Vesemir mentioned that you killed several kings... Not in self-defense. Not in war. Premeditated. On commission. Tell me, Letho, how am I supposed to trust someone who murdered people in cold blood?"

"I don't give a damn about your lack of trust. I'm the only one with the experience to train Vesemir. The young man has knowledge of monsters, but he doesn't know everything. I'm an older and much more experienced witcher than Vesemir."

Midnight frowned.

"That's not the answer we expect."

"Ah, right... you think I killed kings who were like King Arthur or other characters from your fairy tales. Well, you're wrong. I killed sons of bitches. Demawend III of Aedirn was a racist who loved to organize expeditions into elven lands for the purpose of extermination. Foltest of Temeria was a son of a bitch, he impregnated his own sister."

Letho stepped closer to Midnight.

"I killed sons of bitches... because I decided to. I had an agreement with the Emperor of Nilfgaard that after the war he would help me recreate the School of the Viper."

Hound Dog spoke up. He was surprisingly quiet.

"And how did that end for you?"

"Well, it didn't work out. Then the Emperor was after me. They wanted to kill me because I was an inconvenient witness. Geralt was after me too because everyone thought he killed Foltest."

Midnight looked at him with disgust. "So... you were a pawn."

"I was a pawn, but later I learned to place the pieces on the chessboard myself. Now I'm my own master. I only want to teach Vesemir because the boy needs it and we have a good relationship."

Aizawa's eyes held barely controlled rage.

"If you think I'll let you mold Vesemir in your image... you're mistaken."

Letho simply looked at him with contempt.

"It's clear you don't know the boy."

"I know him better than you think."

Letho snorted under his breath.

"That's bullshit. You weren't there when he had to fight for his life. Geralt and Triss were there. Sometimes there were others. Me, Dandelion, Regis, and many others, but I don't remember you."

In the silence that followed, the ticking of a clock could be heard. Midnight averted her gaze, as if not wanting to look at Aizawa's face. Hound Dog remained silent, feeling Aizawa take the verbal blow.

Nezu, sensing they had reached a boundary better left uncrossed, spoke up, calmly but firmly.

"Gentlemen. That's enough. We can change the subject. Mr. Letho. How did you get into this world?"

"Ah, that's an interesting story. You see... I was playing Gwent... with this strange guy. He sat down next to me and asked what I wanted to play. I replied, laughing, that I wanted to go to a world where I could live without all the crap I was involved in... so he replied that he was taking a bet in exchange for a beer... I thought he was joking... but when I won... I woke up in this world."

Vesemir looked at him questioningly.

"And what was this guy's name?"

"Gaunter O'Dimm"

Vesemir... froze. He looked at Letho with concern, which turned almost to fear.

"Gaunter O'Dimm?"

Letho shrugged, ignoring the boy's gaze.

"He played well... but not too well. He wanted me to win. And when he lost, he only said one thing: 'The card is drawn, the fate is sealed.'"

Midnight looked between them with obvious tension.

"Who is this man?"

Vesemir replied.

"He's... not a man... I've only met him once in my life... My grandfather told me about him... he's a powerful being... he's someone who grants wishes for a price..."

Midnight swallowed, feeling a shiver run down her spine. Hound Dog asked.

"Is this... some kind of demon? A monster from your world, Vesemir?"

Vesemir shook his head slowly... and quietly replied.

"No... no one knows what he is... Gaunter O'Dimm has his own agenda. To him, it's just a game. He conducts conversations. He makes offers. And he always gets what he wants... almost always..."

Nezu was surprisingly silent. Finally, he asked.

"So you're the only people in this room who've spoken to him?"

"No... I've spoken to him too."

Everyone looked at Aizawa in shock. Nezu, maintaining his calm demeanor, leaned slightly across the table.

"Please repeat that, Aizawa-sensei."

"I met this... man... the day Vesemir was injured in the fight with the queen... He gave me an item that showed me where Vesemir was... In return, he simply wanted the opportunity to speak with my son."

Vesemir looked at Aizawa, his eyes wide.

"Did you make a deal with him?"

"Excuse me?"

Vesemir exploded.

'DID YOU MAKE A DEAL WITH HIM!?'

Aizawa stood in shock.

"No... I didn't..."

"You don't understand what you've done! He doesn't ask for talks. He invests. When he gives you something, you fall into his net!"

Aizawa shook his head.

"No. There was no deal. He simply gave me an item... which disappeared the next day..."

Vesemir shook his head in resignation. He looked around the room.

"Has anyone else here talked to O'Dimm?"

Nezu, Midnight, and Hound Dog nodded.

"Fine... fuck... why didn't you say anything earlier?"

Nezu grimaced.

"Vesemir, don't swear... but you asked a good question... Aizawa... why didn't you say anything earlier... especially to me?"

Aizawa stared at the floor. The shadow of his hair obscured his eyes, and his hands clenched into fists.

"Because... I wasn't sure if what I saw was true..."

Nezu nodded slightly, as if he had expected this answer, but that didn't mean he was satisfied with it.

"You weren't sure... I understand, but Aizawa-sensei, in situations like this, that's precisely why you have to speak up. Especially me."

Vesemir shook his head.

"Be glad he didn't demand your soul in return."

Hound Dog looked at the boy with fear in his eyes.

"You're joking... right?"

Vesemir didn't answer... his blank stare did that for him.

End of Chapter 26