The next day, the old hermit sutured half of the left side of Hilly's face.

The girl rubbed her face with her hands and began to complain about throbbing pain in her ears and allergic symptoms in her neck.

Even so, she still left the bed where she had been lying for a week, put on her clothes, and walked out of the cabin.

Vysogota did not object, but stayed by her side quietly, watching her staggering on the grass.

"It's so cold! It's freezing me. It's winter already? How long have I been lying in bed? How many weeks?"

"Exactly six days. Today is the fifth day of October, but it seems that October this year will be unusually cold."

"October 5th? How is it possible? It's been two weeks already?!" the girl exclaimed.

"What? What two weeks?"

"Nothing. Maybe I made a mistake...where is my horse?"

"In the corral."

Seeing her black mare again, Xili's face regained some of its vitality.

However, what happened next made her fall into depression again.

It wasn't until she couldn't climb on the horse's back that Ciri had to accept the fact that her body was extremely weak and she could not leave this wooden house and this swamp for the time being...

A few days later, the old hermit removed the remaining sutures for her.

His suturing skills are still as superb as when he was a professor of surgical subjects at Cowburg College.

The stitches are neat and clean, so you don't have to worry about the wound becoming inflamed or anything dirty getting into it.

However, looking at the gloomy look on Xili's face, the pride and satisfaction in the old hermit's heart were suddenly reduced.

The girl just stared at the mirror intently, trying various angles, trying to cover her face with her hair.

But it was useless. A long and narrow scar extending from the left eye socket to the temple was particularly conspicuous on that delicate face.

The redness and swelling around the wound have not gone away, and traces of pinholes and sutures can be seen vaguely.

Over time, these conditions will improve. However, Vysogota knows that this scar may change the girl's appearance forever...

...

With the old hermit's careful care, Xili felt much better, and the time she spent walking around gradually exceeded the time she spent lying in bed.

What particularly surprised and satisfied the old hermit was that she did not mention leaving again.

This girl of unknown origin seems to understand that it is a very stupid decision to continue to evade the enemy's pursuit with her weak body.

Perhaps out of boredom, she would come over to help the old man when he was making leather out of the animals he hunted.

While the two were working, they started a strange conversation.

One is a female bandit and the son of the ancients who does not want to reveal her identity and origin, and the other is an old hermit who does not want to be found by others and lives in seclusion in the swamp. The words of the old man and the young man are full of temptations.

After testing each other, neither of them could believe the other's excuses.

In the end, the two came to a conclusion: honesty is the only choice.

The old hermit decided to speak first:

"I am Vysogota from Kovo. I was a doctor, a surgeon. I was an alchemist, and later a researcher, a historian, a philosopher and a moralist. I was a student of the Cowburg College.

The professor was forced to leave the academy because he published several works that were considered heretical. Fifty years ago, this crime was punishable by death. So, I had to leave my hometown and come to Nilfgaard in the far south.

The German Empire, settled here temporarily, and served as a professor of philosophy and ethics at the Imperial College..."

"After ten years in this position, history repeated itself... After publishing a certain paper, I was forced to flee..."

"I believe that I have the truth. I believe that it is not limited by time. I believe that it should override any political decision-making. I feel that I have been wronged and it is the unfair tyranny of the empire. So I began to communicate with those who opposed the tyranny.

Radical contact..."

"After being pardoned by the emperor and driven out of the country, I came to this swamp and began to learn to be a hermit..."

"Even if the emperor who made the ruling has long since died, the current emperor has no reason to think of it. I can't just leave this swamp. Because the death sentence against me is still valid. As long as I am discovered, I will be arrested immediately.

Go to the guillotine..."

"So, you should understand, dear Shirley, our situations are really very similar..."

Facing the old man's eyes full of vicissitudes and peace, the silver-haired girl pursed her lips and suddenly said:

"What is ethics? I have learned it, but I have forgotten it."

"It is the study of morality. Students who are noble, kind and honest. Because morality and justice can elevate the human soul to the high ground of kindness, while evil and debauchery can also drive people's hearts into the abyss of sin..."

"The high ground of kindness?" Ciri sneered, "Justice? Morality? Don't make me laugh, the wounds on my face are about to burst. Visogota from Kovo has not been rewarded by Bonnet.

I have been hunted by hunters, so I can only say that you are lucky. Have you ever seen the abyss of sin?"

"I have seen it. So I know that evil and dissolute people will not fall into the abyss! Not at all!"

"Those who fell were all decent, honest and noble guys, because they were too stupid, hesitant and full of worries. They were pushed down by villains who were extremely bad but determined!"

Looking at the girl whose face was slightly red due to excitement, the old man could not help but respond in a mocking tone: "Thank you for your teaching. I really live to learn. Indeed, after hearing the unique insights of a mature woman with rich experience,

It really benefited me a lot.”

"Laugh!" Xili shook her head, "While you can still laugh now, it's my turn. I will tell you what happened to me. When I finish, I'll see if you are still in the mood to joke..."

...

At night, if someone quietly walks into this hut in the swamp and peeks in through the window sash, he will see an old man with a white beard listening intently to a silver-haired girl by the fireplace telling a story in the dim light.

Tell a story.

He would see that the girl spoke very slowly, as if she was considering every word that came out of her mouth, and from time to time she would nervously rub the left side of her face with a terrible scar.

The girl was telling about her life, but fell silent from time to time, not knowing how to continue.

However, she did not stop, but tried hard to recall everything she had experienced in her mind, and then told it in a calm tone as much as possible.

However, no one saw or heard all this.

Because this hut with a sunken roof was shrouded in thick fog and located deep in an untrodden swamp.
Chapter completed!