58 Chapter #58

It was already morning by the time Zeno had returned to the keep. There he saw Vesemir waiting for him at the gates.

"Where did you run off in the middle of the night?" Vesemir asked patiently.

He knew Zeno would be fine but leaving without notice is not something he could let slip.

"You two were too loud, I had to find a way to relax myself." Zeno said, satisfaction brimming from his face.

"Don't tell me you ran to the nearest village?" Vesemir facepalmed, he didn't think he was that loud.

'No wonder kids were snickering behind my back!' He remembered Geralt's grin and decided they needed punishment.

"Nah, I ran into a very eager Ruskala. Too bad she didn't have much endurance." Zeno sighed.

Ruskala was very eager to please him but she went down too quickly. Zeno had to give her special nutrients to bring her back to the game, after asking her of course.

Unfortunately she had to go back to her friends by morning but she promised she'll be back by next week.

[Well, at least I have a very detailed page for Ruskalas in our personal bestiary.]

{They're an interesting race...} Ouryuu muttered.

<Doesn't matter had sex!>

"Zeno... Zeno! Stop spacing out and explain things in detail. Ruskalas are rare in these lands." Vesemir pulled Zeno out of his mental conversation.

"Yeah, yeah. She will be back with her sisters next week. Too bad you have your neck tied and can't join me." Zeno smiled smugly.

"Hah! Who said I can't enjoy some Ruskala myself?" Vesemir sneered until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

'How!?' Vesemir was shocked to see Illyana standing behind him with a scary smile.

He knew he would be staying in a different room for some time.

"Hmm, it seems Merlin made Illyana hidden from Vesemir's senses." Zeno said while scratching his cheek.

{This is plain bullying...} Ouryuu said.

[But it is so Merlin-like.] System finished.

<Doesn't matter had sex!>

______

Things had calmed down after that incident. Zeno was basically graduated since Vesemir couldn't teach him anymore and would rather focus on the other kids.

Zeno used this time to renovate the keep while hiding all the technology for now.

He planned on making up some reason to bullshit his way into modern tech and later magitech.

He also made a little farm inside the keep, the main produce was potato, carrots and wheat, they were engineered to be more nutritious to feed the Witcher metabolism.

Zeno didn't worry about Illyana since she got upgraded by Merlin, he figured she would be okay.

While he already had things automated, he still left things to Illyana and Vesemir who actually had farming experience.

Then those two left the duties to Remus and Eskel who also had farming experience while those two roped Geralt and Lambert into it.

In short, the children were responsible for their own food, hunting included.

In that time Vesemir took the children on solo hunting trips to teach them one on one and make sure the lessons stuck.

They always gave the location of the body to Zeno who then consumed the parts they can't use for alchemy.

Yes, Zeno apparently can consume the monsters without worry. Though it didn't give him much in terms of power it certainly enlarged the gene pool he can use to make upgrades to the virus strains.

Zeno was distraught when he didn't get poison glands when he finally consumed a small Griffin that Geralt hunted without help from Vesemir.

'Then again, it's not like I can't make one myself, I just don't want to bother with the process.' He thought to himself before going back to inserting fences on the ground.

Currently he is fencing the keep around with Biomass fences. They are not connected to him mentally and possess minimal computing abilities that make them flash Karmic Virtue whenever a small monster approaches the keep.

Zeno didn't think it would make much difference since no monster ever came to the keep on their own volition but he enjoyed the experiment.

This was also his last job in the keep as spring arrived and he must leave for the path.

Zeno wiped the imaginary sweat off his forehead and nodded in satisfaction before going back in the keep.

He didn't have much to prepare since he didn't have much luggage, still he needed to prepare some empty bags for his horse and some dummy coin pouch to trick people.

Zeno is fully capable of making actual gold from his body, it is actually really similar to Momo Yaoyorozu's quirk. So he doesn't really need anything but it would arouse suspicion if he literally shat gold in the hands of the tax collectors.

Unfortunately the others couldn't join him and set out on their own Witcher Path as Vesemir decided that they were not ready after a series of unfortunate incidents.

It all started the day Geralt decided to call himself Geralt Roger Eric du Haute-Bellegarde. It was then Zeno knew things were just starting.

Next, Lambert who went out to hunt for food came back half naked and full of bite and claw marks belonging to drowners.

He apparently got ganged up by a large horde of drowners, couldn't run away in time and barely made it out alive.

Just a week after that Geralt broke his leg while he tried a stunt move by jumping on his horse from the walls of the keep.

Roach, the second as Zeno calls her, was naturally scared and got out of the way, resulting Geralt to fall on the hard ground. He was lucky that the only thing he broke was his leg.

Remus ended up sleeping with a succubus passing by, she was actually looking for Zeno who became the talk of the humanoid monsters around the area but she mistook him for Zeno.

Zeno only learned about this after Remus got drunk and confessed that the succubus kept calling Zeno's name no matter how much he tried.

Still, Remus came back with the largest grin he had on his face ever since he stepped into Kaer Morhen. He was still grinning while getting his hide tanned by Vesemir who was yelling about how unfair the life was.

Zeno thought that was the end of the incidents until he found Eskel staring at the sky, his eyes completely bloodshot and holding a primitive bong in his hand.

"Ah for fuck's sake!" Zeno cursed.

Anyway, in the end Vesemir decided that the kids were not ready for the Path and many of the perils accompanying the Path.

"They will probably end up in the arms of some fucked up enchantresses!" Vesemir said as he slammed his fist on the table.

"Oh you have no idea my guy..." Zeno muttered and kept drinking his moonshine.

Vesemir decided that he will take them on field trips away from the castle and teach them further by giving them hands-on experience with some of the trickier monsters.

Normally Vesemir wouldn't be able to afford such a teaching plan but they can afford it now since Zeno got them covered in terms of food and alcohol.

Zeno even sold some of the early products to nearby villages earning them a hefty sum of coins they can spend.(It is genetically engineered food, don't question the timing)

The moonshine made by Zeno was a big hit amongst villagers, he even heard that some of it went to the King of Kaedwen.

Zeno really wanted to see the man's expression when he learned he was drinking witcher alcohol.

"So, you have everything you need?" Vesemir asked while making sure Zeno's saddle was tied properly.

"Yes Vesemir. I have all the things I need with me." Zeno smiled and answered.

"Good, good... Where do you plan on going first?" Vesemir nodded before asking.

"My first destination is Vengerberg. I promised Old Harkon something, after that I'll wander around. One of the Ruskala's asked me to check on a Vila living at Mahakam Mountains. I'll do that I guess." Zeno explained his plans.

"Sigh first Ruskalas now a Vila. You must have some luck with monster girls." Vesemir sighed.

"I have luck with women, period." Zeno grinned.

"Off you go now, before you piss me off anymore!" Vesemir grumbled.

"See you in the winter Vesemir."

"Goodbye Zeno, take care."

And Zeno left Kaer Morhen on the first day of spring riding his Goldlight infected horse at full gallop.