An invisible wall supported a shelter. Unlike the howling cold winds outside, the temperature inside the shelter was comfortable, and it could block the wind and rain, allowing for a good rest when camping in the wild.
Eskeil, who was taciturn, reached out and tapped the invisible wall. He found that its sturdiness was no less than that of rock, and he immediately sensed the magic net to find the casting method.
This spell, named Permanent Dwelling, could last for seven hours. During this time, the range of the shelter could be expanded by paying with mana, making camping in the rain no longer a torment.
"And then there's this, healing minor injuries."
White light emanated from Tika's hands. A mist-like curtain of light could heal relatively minor injuries and effectively alleviate physical fatigue.
"Thank you for your help, Madam." Vesemir sincerely thanked Tika for everything she had done for the witcher.
"Thank Lambert," Tika said seriously. "Witchers should not be treated that way. Those who carry torches for others should not be left to freeze in the wind and snow. Your efforts deserve ultimate reward!"
After handing over a few new spells for the witchers to experiment with, Tika's gaze fell upon Yennefer.
The academy's location had already been chosen, not too far from the client. The warm river valley was rich in resources, and wild beasts often came here to drink. The sorceress was pleased and immediately had the trolls build a bridge across the riverbed.
The sorcerers began their busy work, and with the enhancement of spells, the academy took shape in just three days.
The remaining work was the tedious task of filling in stones and casting spells. Under the hands of the trolls, the main buildings of the academy were quickly completed.
Tika, looking at the castle with its Gothic style, became interested. Putting aside the magic she was studying, she made a pointed hat, creating a virtual soul using a method similar to that of a tower guardian.
The hat grew a large mouth as Tika desired, possessing intelligence no different from that of a normal person.
"Hey, esteemed mages, please call me the All-Knowing Sorting Hat."
On the first day of creating the hat, Tika was already annoyed by its incessant chatter. The hat, a gift, fell into the hands of the sorceresses. It was the first time they had seen such marvelous alchemy, and they almost tore it apart.
After some tinkering, the sorceresses finally gave up on the idea of creating a research assistant. The hat, whose creation process could not be deciphered, was thus neglected.
Seeing that the irritable women could not do anything to it, the hat became arrogant again, taking it upon itself to create noise. It yelled and shouted non-stop. Tika, out of desperation, made the cheeky hat shut its mouth. The magic that eliminated sound, plus a light-proof wooden box, finally silenced the hat.
The surviving apprentices were gathered at the new magic academy, where they would receive new magical education on the Blue Mountains.
To make the best use of everything, Tika took the hat out of the black box to test the apprentices.
During its creation, the hat was designed with the ability to discover apprentices' talents. The young apprentices benefited from this and showed great respect for the hat.
Tika was busy looking for owls and didn't have time to discipline it. The hat, in front of the innocent apprentices, acted imperiously, making them sign a series of unfair treaties.
Tika, bored, unified the intelligence of a considerable number of owls after finding them, using them as messengers to make the magic academy look more like Hogwarts.
Arriving in Velen, Tika noticed that the residents lived in prosperity, and this prosperity was not only reflected in food.
The residents of Velen were clearly not worried about the devastation of war. Their physique was remarkably healthy and ruddy, and they had never gone hungry.
In Tika's eyes, the forests of this land shimmered with a faint spiritual aura. This aura was different from the forest where the dryad queen Essina resided; it had a sticky, nauseating quality, like an oil slick on a sewer.
Within Velen, there was a Bald Mountain, and the giant oak tree on its summit caught Tika's attention. The source of the spiritual aura was this sacred oak.
This oak tree should hold the answer as to how this land, filled with miasma and swamps, had become what it was now.
Dense crowds were heading towards Bald Mountain. They were coming to attend the gathering of the Ladies of the Wood. Tika transformed into a passing bard and mingled with them to inquire about the nature of the Ladies of the Wood.
From the people's words, Tika roughly understood what kind of beings the Ladies of the Wood were. They were called "Good Mothers" by their followers and were the de facto leaders of Velen. They helped the residents of Velen through difficult years, but at the cost of absolute obedience.
The worship of the Ladies of the Wood had been prevalent in Velen for a long time. As far back as people could remember, the Ladies of the Wood had already existed. They could hear everything that happened in their woods and could manipulate the destinies of nearby humans, bestowing blessings or curses upon their followers. The Ladies of the Wood seemed to be immortal, appearing as eternally young women, and in the mouths of their believers, they possessed supernatural power and vitality.
To the people of Lower Velen, they were both the gods they could rely on and the demons that took their lives. On one hand, the Ladies of the Wood rewarded the devout who offered sacrifices, dispelling their disasters and hardships and helping the villagers through difficult years. On the other hand, they demanded absolute obedience to their will from their followers and occasionally required villagers to sacrifice their hair, ears, or even their children. The Ladies of the Wood would listen to the requests made by their followers in Velen and fulfill their wishes, but the tributes they demanded were not low at all.
The more Tika listened, the more curious she became. These descriptions seemed to truly indicate that the Ladies of the Wood were deities.
They were merely regional gods who maintained their glory by relying on the land or rivers. Once they lost the land that sustained their power, they would rapidly weaken.
This was indeed strange. Wasn't the manifestation of deities in their true forms forbidden in this world? How did the Ladies of the Wood evade the laws?
The procession reached the altar on the mountainside. Tika saw on the altar a piece of animal hide stretched open by branches, depicting three plump women dressed in linen. Their eyes were closed, and they danced around a bonfire with abandon.
The followers sat around the altar, offered sacrifices, and then prayed for a bountiful harvest in the coming year.
Tika clearly saw the power of faith surging towards the mountaintop. Being able to receive prayers and faith, the Ladies of the Wood were not much different from deities!