There are only three things in Baron Philip's mind.
Family, family, and family.
How to get my daughter back, how to get my wife back.
As a middle-aged man, he has lost all the ambitions he had in his youth, and only this desire remains.
"Where's Anna?" he asked again.
"Know the Lady of the Woods?" Harry asked him.
The baron's expression changed slightly: "Old witch?"
Harry nodded.
"Oh, of course I've heard of it. The common people have talked about it." The baron frowned, "But isn't it just made up to fool children?"
"The witcher is also a legend to deceive children." Harry said calmly.
Demon hunters have a bad reputation.
Unlike people's appearance which is the cause, some unscrupulous behaviors such as those of cat-faction witchers are fuel, and the stories passed down by word of mouth among the people are the catalyst.
Almost every child has heard such a story when they were young - "If you don't listen, I will sell you to the witcher."
The child is confused.
They are extremely afraid of being abandoned by their families, and as they grow up, hearing such rumors again and again, this fear will spread to the demon hunters.
"But why is Anna with the old witch?" The baron's brows were still furrowed.
"Because of an agreement." Harry said softly, "Your wife was once pregnant, but she didn't want to give birth to the child, so she signed a contract with the old witch. They made her miscarry, and the price was to stay with the old witch."
"Sign a contract with the old witch?" The baron's voice rose. "Witcher, why the hell didn't you tell me this earlier? We have to rescue her as soon as possible."
Hermione narrowed her eyes and looked over with dissatisfaction.
She was now a little stressed out by the insults directed at Harry.
"Calm down." Harry said calmly, "If you can't calm down, I can help you calm down."
The Baron took a deep breath and said, "Demon Hunter, I mean, I can't just sit there and watch Anna suffer."
"I've heard of old witches. They're not good people."
Harry nodded: "So we have to go rescue him now."
The baron clenched his fists and wandered excitedly: "I will go to gather my men now. Where is the witch in the woods?"
"The swamp is dangerous, and bringing your men across there won't help." Harry shook his head.
The baron's tone was hardly restrained with excitement: "But she is my wife."
"Just come with us." Harry's tone remained calm, "We can handle the old witch."
The Baron was stunned and looked at Harry.
"Witchers are professionals in this matter." Harry said expressionlessly, "You pay the money, and I accept the commission. No one else needs to intervene."
The baron readily agreed: "Of course, no problem."
"Shall we set off now?"
Harry nodded.
Ciri thought of something, raised her head in fear and looked at him: "Is he going to teleport again?"
Harry said confidently, "Of course, this is the fastest way, isn't it?"
Ciri stood up, frowned, grabbed Harry's shoulders, closed her eyes, and clenched her teeth: "Come on."
Hermione grabbed Harry's hand.
They both looked at the Baron.
"Do I have to catch you like this too?" The Baron walked over and asked, and got an affirmative nod from Harry.
Just halfway there.
He suddenly stopped and said, "Wait, I'll go get my sword."
Ciri opened her eyes: "Philip, I'm just getting ready."
The baron ran up the stairs, picked up a long sword, put on armor, and like Ciri, grabbed Geralt's other shoulder tightly.
Harry waved his wand.
With a snap—
Ciri helped Harry to stand, and the Baron rolled out in a daze, fell to the ground, and kept retching.
"No wonder Ciri is like this." He held on to the ground and took a while to recover. "She just drank two marks of horse urine as if it were beer."
Having had this experience once before, Ciri's reaction was much better than the Baron's. She looked around and said, "This doesn't look like the Hunchback Swamp?"
Humpback Swamp, where the old witches live.
"Of course not, I haven't been there." Harry shook his head, "Apparation can only take me to places I've been to."
"This is just the closest place to the old witches and the place I've been to."
The baron raised his head: "So we still have to hurry on?"
"Harry, you should have said so earlier. I'll go get some horses..."
Harry waved his wand, and the stones on the ground twisted and turned into four horses.
The Baron stared at it.
"No need to go through so much trouble." Harry jumped on the horse, "Hurry up, we may still be able to make it before dark."
The Baron was the last to mount.
This horse created by magic seemed to be no different from the horses he had ridden before. In fact, because it was a magical creation, it was more obedient and had a more stable speed. It would not put any physical burden on him even when traveling long distances.
They reached the entrance before dark.
A narrow path.
In front of the swamp stood a crude wooden statue with various brightly colored flowers inserted on it, and underneath the wood were offerings that had long since decayed.
It's a shrine.
There is no magical fluctuation.
But for some reason… this place gave Hermione a very uncomfortable feeling.
The sunset is dim.
The trees on both sides of the road are blooming with bright red colors.
"Those don't look like flowers?" Hermione looked at them with a frown.
Harry said nothing, but raised his wand and waved it gently.
Peaceful guard.
A faint white light suddenly flashed and fell on them.
"The old witch is here already?" Hermione drew out her wand and looked around, but there was nothing.
Harry shook his head: "Don't you feel it?"
Hermione twisted her body and looked at the statue in the shrine again. This time, the vague discomfort completely disappeared. She frowned and said with some doubt: "I don't feel any magic."
"I have heard some rumors." The baron said, "The Lady of the Forest lives in a swamp. They will ask for ears as sacrifices, and those sacrificed ears will help them monitor the swamp and even Lower Valen."
Hermione looked over again.
Those bright red colors on those trees suddenly became clear one by one.
Not a flower, nor a leaf.
It's the ear.
Clusters of ears, like cherries, hang on the branches.
"So that uncomfortable feeling just now was because the old witch was eavesdropping on us?" Hermione frowned.
Harry looked at Ciri, "They may not be that perceptive. They just noticed that a stranger was coming, but they don't know who we are yet."
"Of course, even if they knew who we were, they wouldn't run away."
Ciri nodded: "I am the ancient blood."
"The old witch and her friends wanted to capture me, eat my flesh and drink my blood."
"They've been waiting for me to show up, and now that they've noticed me, it's even more impossible for them to leave."
Hermione was a little surprised.
Can the ancient blood be used in this way?