Let’s be real; The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has to be one of the hottest titles in the entire gaming industry. First launched in 2015, the game has been able to gain a huge reputation among gamers over the years. The Witcher 3’s incredible graphics, addictive storyline, and top-notch gameplay are undoubtedly the contributing factors when it comes to its popularity.
In this article, you will get to know how to complete the secondary quest, namely ‘There Can Be Only One’. This quest comes with the Blood and Wine expansion of The Witcher 3 and gives players one of the best rewards and perhaps the most powerful sword of the entire game – Aerondight.
So, without further ado, let us discuss how you can finish the quest and obtain Aerondight.
How to Start the ‘There Can Be Only One’ Side Quest?
Players can trigger the ‘There Can Be Only One’ side quest in three ways. First, they can visit the notice board at the Gran’place and grab the notice. Second, they can overhear the tête-à-tête between Bors and Percival at the Tourney Grounds.
However, both these means are optional, and the third way to begin the quest is by visiting Lac Célavy directly and approaching the Hermit residing there.
If Geralt has proven all the five virtues of Toussiant, the Hermit will invite you to fight him. By defeating the Hermit, Geralt can gain Aerondight for a second time (the first time being in the first two Witcher games).
Location of Lac Célavy
Lac Célavy is a small lake situated on the northwest side of Beauclair. The northern side of the island has five stones, each for the five chivalric virtues you need to display. Whether you prove these virtues depends on your choices throughout the game (we will elaborate on that later).
It is at Lac Célavy that players will find the bearded Hermit, whom they must defeat for the legendary sword. Geralt would also find stones with inscriptions on the side of Lac Célavy that explain the five virtues and that he can walk on water.
How to Prove All Five Chivalric Virtues?
As we have already mentioned, you cannot fight the Hermit and achieve Aerondight without displaying all five chivalric virtues. You will not be worthy of wielding the sword unless you prove these virtues.
The five virtues are – Compassion, Generosity, Honor, Valor, and Wisdom. Based on your time handling the quest ‘There Can Be Only One’, you may have already demonstrated some or all of the five virtues. Your dialogue choices in certain quests contribute to the display of such virtues.
If you have some virtues missing when visiting the Hermit, you have to demonstrate them first before you can get your hands on Aerondight.
While you will get multiple chances to prove these five virtues throughout the game, below we will take a look at the earliest possible opportunities to achieve each:
➡️ Trial of Compassion
You can display Compassion in the main quest, ‘The Beast of Toussaint’, by sparing the life of Shalemaar after defeating it in the arena.
➡️ Trial of Generosity
You attain the virtue of Generosity in the miscellaneous task ‘Beauclair’. When you step foot in the Main Square of Beauclair, a kid will run up to you and give you a letter. Pay the little boy 5 crowns as a gift for his trouble.
➡️ Trial of Honor
In the side quest ‘The Warble of a Smitten Knight’, participate in the horse race as Geralt of Rivia. After the race, Prince Ansies will challenge you to a mounted duel. Accept his challenge and defeat him to show that you have Honor.
➡️ Trial of Valor
The same side quest, ‘The Warble of a Smitten Knight’, also allows you to demonstrate your valor. After following Oriel into the forests, finding out Vivienne’s secret, and informing Guillaume about it, you get to either carry on with the tournament or quit. Choose to continue the tourney and win it, and your valor will be on display.
➡️ Trial of Wisdom
In the main quest, ‘The Beast of Toussaint’, you have to meet the Duchess and combine all three clues (the two clues you found along with the Duchess’ clue) to guess Milton’s location. Provide the correct answer to the riddle by answering, “It’s a greenhouse!” and you will prove the virtue of wisdom.
How to Fight the Hermit?
Fighting and winning against the Hermit residing at Lac Célavy is your last task before you can wield the mighty Aerondight. The Hermit can knock you back and blast you with water from the lake.
Besides shooting water cones and creating water arcs, he can conjure up a barrier of water around him and approach you for an attack.
To end the fight quickly, your best bet would be to dodge his long-range attacks and keep moving towards the Hermit. Once in his proximity, utilize fast attacks to deal considerable damage.
Note: The Hermit is proficient in melee too. Therefore, back off immediately if he starts overwhelming you and regroup before attacking him again.
Additionally, use ‘Active Shield’ to absorb his long-range spells and recover.
Once you overpower and defeat the Hermit, he will descend into the water, and the Lady of the Lake will appear from underneath the lake, presenting you with Aerondight.
➡️ What is Aerondight?
Aerondight is a relic silver sword that players can obtain after defeating the Hermit at Lac Célavy in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s second and final DLC pack ‘Blood and Wine’. The first two Witcher games also featured this rarity-tier sword, and in The Witcher 3, Aerondight makes a reappearance.
Aerondight is arguably the finest sword in the entire game. You can possess the sword only if you own the ‘Blood and Wine’ expansion pack. If you don’t, you have to buy the expansion pack separately and add it to your standard game or buy the Complete Edition.
Aerondight comes with an exclusive and powerful ability – it levels up along with the player. Every hit from the sword charges it up and boosts its damage by 10%. When fully charged up, every blow delivers a critical hit. Additionally, slaughtering an enemy with a fully loaded Aerondight gives it a permanent damage boost to a maximum of level 10.
Prolonged inaction or receiving any damage in between can decrease its charge, though. So, be careful.
➡️ How to Upgrade Aerondight?
The Aerondight upgrades along with the player who possesses it. Each blow delivered to a foe using Aerondight charges it up.
Every 10th hit with a fully-charged Aerondight permanently increases its damage potential by 2. Until you reach level 100, the sword’s maximum potential will keep increasing along with your potential. It can go up to a maximum of level 10 each time you boost your own level.
Conclusion
As you can see, Aerondight is a must-have for all Witcher enthusiasts, and collecting it can give you immense power. The only way to obtain it is by completing the ‘There Can Be Only One’ side quest.
This post is intended to act as a guide to prove all five Knightly virtues, triumph over the Hermit, and acquire the legendary Aerondight. Hope it helps you become the great warrior you are destined to be. Wish you an unforgettable The Witcher 3 experience!
Now, if you have the Aerondight with you, would you like a quick trip to Kaer Morhen; the legendary keep where the Geralt trained himself? Check out our post on how to get to Kaer Morhen. For PC players, there’s a quick hack that you can use to get there!
