Chapter 31 Overcast Clouds

"Roy, what purpose did you set up this fraternity to gather together a dozen witchers, sorceresses, alchemists, and a group of orphans?" Yennefer leaned against the guardrail of the balcony and stared into the distance of the castle. The boundless sea, the cold wind in the wilderness, the hair fluttering behind the head like dark clouds, and the wonderful curve from shoulders to waist and hips is like an undulating mountain.

In the room behind her, Calanthe, in a loose cotton coat, was reading attentively a book of Love Words for Children by the firelight, while Ciri pouted like a little hen and circled around Looking for the intersection of magic power in the four corners of the room, magic light flashes from time to time.

"It's very simple." Roy put his hands under his chest, leaning against the guardrail on his back, looking at the pair of grandparents and grandchildren in the room, the corners of his mouth curved, "Let the witchers survive and develop in this world."

"Haven't you already done it now? Several new witchers have been born in Gawain's house, and everyone's life is not bad." Yennefer's violet eyes swept to Roy, "What's next? What are your plans? "

"Now there are fewer and fewer monsters in this world, and there are not too many witchers."

"And your number is still increasing. Is it possible that the newly born witchers will all become mercenaries in the future, or should they set up a gang organization to live on the flesh and blood of merchants and hawkers?"

"Who stipulated that witchers must fight and kill, or be kidnapped? Can't do business, can't use what we have learned to be a blacksmith, apothecary, and a swordsmanship teacher?"

Roy shook his head and said, "And a new force, if it doesn't grow as soon as possible and becomes strong enough, it will be destroyed by this world sooner or later, and we need more companions. Of course, don't worry, the witcher is not an ambitious, vain attempt. For those who have subverted the world pattern, we develop our own power to protect ourselves. After all, in this world, most cities other than Novigrad are still full of malice towards witchers.”

Yennefer nodded, thinking of Geralt's cold-hearted encounters in his mind, "That's right, it's like Gawain's House is currently facing a crisis."

"What's the meaning?"

"Lesso didn't inform you? A mage named Riens found Novigrad and was chased away by Lambert... But he and the forces behind him will never give up until they find Ciri."

Roy raised his brows, and he actually concealed such important news from him.

Those guys, go back and cook well!

As for Reins, Wingford's agent.

He passed each other at Soden's castle,

But I don't want this guy to come to the door on his own initiative!

It will be you in a while.

...

Thousands of miles away, on the outskirts of Novigrad, the Seven Cats Tavern.

The sunlight through the window illuminated the humble hall and a round table in the corner. Two men dressed as mercenaries in neat leather armor, long swords and daggers on their waists sat opposite each other.

"I got one of the butcher Cliff's men drunk and took the message out of his mouth," said a man with a hooded, hooked nose and a sharp chin in a low voice, "A few months ago, the butcher, the beggar, Wang and Eternal Fire received a report that the witchers were operating in the suburbs to sell people, so they rushed to the witcher's base, an orphanage called 'Gawain's House'."

The half-elf sitting across from him, over six feet tall, pricked up his ears.

"In an alder forest less than twenty miles away from the Seven Cats Tavern, according to the witcher's cunning character and rich experience of survival in the wild, there must be traps set up in the woods, and you'd better not set foot in it lightly. ."

"According to the drunkard, there are more than fifty children in captivity in the yard."

"Ten mutants live."

"Ten?" The half-elf touched the black ponytail at the back of his head, the yellow-green Almond's eyes flashed with fear, and his face became gloomy.

"This is still more than half a year ago, and now there are definitely more than that..." The hook-nosed mercenary said firmly, "Why did the witchers set up orphanages for no reason? They must be doing evil deeds to train more mutants. But somehow, the butcher, the beggar king, and the sheriff were fooled."

The half-elf's strong body was projected onto the mottled wall, and he sat upright, "Where's the mutant's partner?"

The mercenary took a sip of strong wine and wanted to moisten his throat, but his face suddenly changed.

"It's really bad luck, do you sell wine or juice?"

He turned around and glared angrily at the hunched over boss in front of the bar, who turned a blind eye and licked a cat that wiggled his ass.

"You deserve this rotten tavern to close down!"

The mercenary took a deep breath and suppressed his anger,

"In order to find out the relationship and details of the witcher, I sacrificed several brothers! You don't know, those guys are smarter than the foxes in the mountains, and their noses are smarter than the hounds. ."

"My brother is only a little closer to their territory, and his whereabouts are unknown. The witcher must have used the seal to force a confession!"

"I pulled out the radish and brought out the mud. My second and third brothers were implicated one after another and lost the news."

"But don't worry, I never mentioned you to them. The witcher has no clue."

"Look, in order to entrust us, we came from Linbu City not far away, and we lost three brothers in half a month."

The half-elf silently dropped a fist-sized gray leather bag, "This money is given to the three sacrificial brothers as a pension."

The flesh on the mercenary's face shook, and when he opened the bag, his pupils turned into the shape of golden crowns, and his cheeks smiled like chrysanthemums!

"Your Excellency is a straightforward person, so I won't cover it up."

"The three major gangs in the city, the Beggar King, the Collector, and the Butcher, have all signed an agreement for peaceful coexistence with the witchers... Among them, the collectors have the closest relationship with them."

"A considerable part of the orphanage's operating expenses is financed by collectors, which is well known in the city council... He also employs two witchers as his swordsmen coaches... The two are definitely allies."

The half-elf's thick-knuckle fingers began to tap the table regularly.

The mercenary's tone froze,

"It's a bit alarmist to say that the second collaborator of the mutants - the biggest force in the city, the Eternal Fire, is also inextricably linked with the witchers! To be precise, their sheriff."

"According to my investigation, the witcher once assisted the sheriff Chapelle in launching a massive campaign against human trafficking, arresting at least thirty traffickers for him, cutting off many people's fortunes."

"And the sheriff won the support of the people of Novigrad with this move!"

"After the Battle of Sorden, two more witchers assisted the sheriff in helping the refugees who had escaped from Sintra."

"A brother of mine once stuffed a report into the donation box of Eternal Fire, like a mud bull into the sea, and there was no response."

"What does this mean? Sheriff Chapelle and the witcher have been hooked up for a long time, and it's not just a simple interest relationship."

...

"Another obvious ally of the mutants is the Nuocheng Song and Dance Hall, and the blind can see it - the bard desperately praised them, preached the selfless deeds of the witchers, and brainwashed the local people, There is a great relationship between them.”

"The Guthvid Pharmacy next door to the dance hall is completely owned by the witchers. A Zerekan woman with a tattoo on her face runs the shop for them, and there are five or six best-selling potions on the shelves, such as men. The energy potion everyone loves! It's a hen that lays golden eggs."

The mercenary said jealously,

"It's common to see orphans from Gawain's House going to work in a pharmacy."

"Besides, one of my subordinates discovered before he disappeared that there was a witcher secretly guarding a food stall in the market, and the identity of the old Moore couple with a baby who ran the food stall must not be simple."

"I don't know exactly how you want to deal with mutants. But you can't get around this group of people!"

"Song and dance halls, pharmacies, and food stalls are nothing to be afraid of. But the sheriffs and collectors of Eternal Fire are all big men who stomp their feet, and Nuocheng is about to have an earthquake! Your actions must be cautious and cautious!"

"Your Excellency is worthy of being the most intelligent detective in Limbu City. This information is very useful to us." The half-elf nodded and handed over another bag of krona, with a cold light in his eyes, "Now, I have a second commission in my hands."

"Are you willing to join hands with us to eradicate step by step this group of mutants who are secretly doing wicked business?"

"After this is done, I will give you ten times the reward!"

The mercenary immediately flushed with excitement, and he was paid ten times as much. He could retire directly and buy a villa in Keville or Toussaint to enjoy his old age!

He gritted his teeth, stretched out his hand and shook the half-elf.

"I'm done with you guys!"

"Very well, now, you continue to lurk in Novigrad City, collect information about the witchers without any movement, and report the situation every two days. Yes, give priority to keeping your own life!" The half-elf patted him on the shoulder , "The battle hasn't started yet, I don't want to lose an important comrade in arms in advance!"

...

Five minutes after the mercenary left the tavern.

A ray of light suddenly shot from the sleepy eyes of the old man who was lying in front of the bar and stroking cats.

On the cheeks covered with rough folds like tree bark, the facial features changed and twisted strangely, and blinked into a middle-aged man with thin lips, wet black eyes, and neat short hair.

The half-elf walked over and sat in front of the bar, pouring himself a glass of kirsch.

"Reins, seriously, your wine is terrible! What do you say now? The witcher's news is almost collected... Shall we get started?"

"Squirrell, how did your lord order it back then..." Reins shook his head and snapped his fingers.

puff puff.

The door of the tavern was automatically closed and locked in the absence of wind, and the curtains automatically fell to block the sunlight outside the window.

"Wait for him to direct everything. Calculate the time. It's been almost three days since Soden's meeting. His Majesty the king should have discussed the results..."

As he spoke, Reins' empty palm suddenly had a magic music box, Kazkaz.

Index finger turns the chainring.

The knight on the white horse in the box began to circle slowly.

And the tip of the spear in the knight's hand reflects a colorful magical light, weaving a water-blue light curtain in the air.

Five seconds of darkness.

Kacha, an unusually handsome man with ear-length brown hair appeared in the light curtain.

"Riens, Skirr..." His majestic eyes swept across the cheeks of the two of them, and they stiffened in an instant like the soldiers named by the officer, "Suddenly contacted me to find out the details of the group of witchers. ?"

"Sir, things are more tricky than we thought." Reins took a deep breath and repeated what the mercenary said just now, "The witcher and the two largest local power collectors and the law and order of Eternal Fire. The officials were deeply entangled, and signed a peace agreement with the other two beggar kings and the butcher."

"If you want to move Gawain's house, it will inevitably provoke the intervention of these two people. At that time, it will not be solved by one or two small-scale battles."

There was a hint of surprise in Wingford's deep eyes, and he rubbed the emerald ring on his index finger, "I remember an orthodox witcher who is independent, abides by neutrality, and will never join forces with other organizations." Congruent'."

"But according to what you said, these dozen guys from different schools not only united themselves, but also attracted other powerful forces. This is not like a witcher's style at all. It is more like a gang organization."

"What on earth are they trying to do? Could it be that they are helping the fallen princess to restore... This is too whimsical!" Together, that's our enemy—get them first, strip the witchers of their armor, and turn their talismans into thorns in the flesh!"

"Liens, the last time you failed to kidnap the crappy poet in the dance hall, you have already aroused the witcher's vigilance, and it is too risky to shoot him again. As for the pharmacy, and the food stall... It seems that there is no defense, but it is actually the most difficult. Next time, you change your target." Wingford said coldly, "Tie the collector to me!"

"I'll send Lydia to work with you..."

"The collector is in a high position... The guards around him are strong, which is an advantage, but he has not experienced danger for a long time, and his alertness to the crisis will be reduced, which is also a disadvantage... The two warlocks should join forces and they should be able to settle this guy."

"As for you, Skirrou, continue to recruit mercenaries in the cities around Novigrad, they'd better have been persecuted by mutants or non-humans, hold grudges, or be powerful mercenaries who can take a few tricks with the witcher. ."

"It's best to find some of the 'villagers' who have been slaughtered by the witchers in the village, and eat and drink to support them, which will come in handy in the future."

"Lord Vigo," Reins nodded and asked respectfully, "then over there with Eternal Fire."

"How can a sheriff in a mere complicity collude with the witcher to call for wind and rain in Nuocheng? Where does he place the archbishop, the real leader of the eternal fire? Just after yesterday's meeting, the archbishop has not left for his return journey."

Wei Ge paced around in front of the light curtain, his deep eyes flashed with wisdom, and his magnetic voice was full of confidence, "I will persuade him to eradicate the black sheep of Sheriff Chapelle!"

"When the witcher receives the news, there will be a riot, and there will be no time to pay attention. Lins, you will take the opportunity to cooperate with Lydia and kidnap the collector."

"When the show starts, I'll give you another order."

...

Click!

Telescope goes out.

Reins left the castle's luxurious bedroom.

He explained a few words to the female assistant wearing a magic mask outside the door.

Along the long winding corridor, I took a few steps and arrived in front of a pair of iron-clad oak doors.

"Bang bang."

"Your Majesty, Cyrus Engelkander Heimfa, it's me, Wigfortz."

Kaz --

Behind the door, there was an old face with a kind-hearted look. He was wearing a white shirt with red sleeves and a red stripe on the collar, like a robe like a burning sun.

"Master Wei Ge, please come in quickly! This meeting can end peacefully, thanks to your mediation! But what are you doing here?"

"Haha, it's a long story, one of my colleagues encountered a strange thing while traveling in Novigrad... It's about your subordinate Chapelle, and the witcher..."

"Although I'm not an Eternal Fire Cultist, I have always respected Eternal Fire. I don't want to see an immortal flame polluted by the tainted blood of mutants!"