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“We have the same destination here.” Ciri was beaming at him, and Roy winked at her. “I just got a request back in Cintra, and my employer requires me to make a trip to Verden.”

“Tell me the truth, Mr. Roy.” Krauze stared intently at Roy, trying to bore a hole through the young witcher. “You left the castle after you completed the queen’s orders, but now you take the same boat as the princess? That is no coincidence.”

“Why not?” Roy shrugged. Ciri was wiggling her eyebrows at him, but Coria pulled the girl behind her. The servant seemed nervous, but she puffed her cheeks and tried to keep Ciri out of Roy’s eyesight.

“The journey from Cintra to Verden is quite long, and I have to cross Yaruga on my way. I am just a poor witcher who can only afford a ticket on the barge.”

Krauze looked Roy up and down. He didn’t see any lies in Roy’s eyes, so he waved his soldiers away, lest they attack Roy. “Very well, then. I shall chalk this up to coincidence, but do please be mindful of your own status. Be respectful to the princess at the very least.” Krauze said nothing else after that.

Cintra’s warrior might be great at battling underwater, but nobody had come across a lethal octopus before, and none of them had any idea how to deal with it. “The princess must not be harmed. She must be protected at all costs. The witcher might be a lowly citizen, but he is the perfect guard. He may come with us.”

The soldiers ignored Roy, though they didn’t allow him to get near Ciri, either. Ciri was flailing in protest, but Coria dragged her into the cabin nonetheless.

The river was once again safe. Roy stared at it for a moment and sighed. When he came back to the crowd, everyone kept quiet, and the air was filled with an awkward silence.

Aside from Linus, who intended to keep Peter alive, none of the passengers stayed at the boatside anymore. They gathered in the center, though when Roy came back, they switched up their positions a little. Those who were far away huddled closer to the witcher, but those who were sitting close to Roy nudged away from him.

All of the passengers were stealing glances at Roy, though there were different looks in their eyes. Some frowned and puckered their lips in fear, but most felt respect and fear towards Roy, with the majority leaning into fear. Those who were chatting happily earlier kept their mouths shut when Roy showed up, and they did not make any sudden movements either.

The boy who was in his mother’s arms called out to him meekly. “Witcher?”

“What is it, child?”

“Y-You look different from what the legends describe.” The boy became bolder when Roy addressed him gently.

“How so?”

“My friends say that witchers have gaping maws and wolf claws as hands. They say all of you are filled with pustules, and you eat humans.” Dear little Blue huddled closer and stared at Roy with nothing but curiosity in his eyes.

His mother—the lady with a generous bosom—covered her son’s mouth and smiled fearfully at Roy. “Pardon the child, witcher. He’s still a boy.”

Roy grunted, but he said nothing else. He covered his face with his hoodie and leaned against the cabin’s wall. He put his hands behind his head and rested his eyes as the barge made its way through the river.

With the witcher’s attention gone, the passengers started to ease up and began to chat after a while.

***

Three hours later, the sailors made a loud announcement of their arrival at a pier. They pulled the sails down and tossed the anchors over. The barge started to rock as it docked itself against a pier. A sailor placed a thick wooden plank between the barge and the pier, allowing the passengers to disembark.

Everyone started to get busy. Luggage and cargo were sent up to the shore, and Roy—who was woken up by the noise—was washed to the pier along with the throng.

The river breeze coming in from Yaruga was tinged with the stench of sweat coming from the laborers who were pushing the cart filled with cargo. The barge Roy was on was only one of the dozen of barges that came from Cintra, Brugge, Sodden, and the other neighboring kingdoms. They congregated at the pier in southern Verden, which was also one of the three military fortresses in Verden—Bodrog.

The shore was bustling with activity. Merchants were running around to make deals, while soldiers in leather armor would patrol the place. Roy noticed that the soldiers were also equipped with steel swords, which was the standard, but they also had a hand crossbow strapped to their waist.

Roy rubbed his chin. I wonder what it’ll be like if I compare Gabriel to these hand crossbows.

He pinched his skin. My Constitution is more than ten now. I wonder if I can cause a lot of damage with a small weapon like this.

Sometime later, Linus came up to Roy, and two muscular men were behind him, holding a big wooden bucket that contained Peter the Octopus. The kayran was in deep sleep thanks to the paralyzing poison Roy gave Linus. They would have thought the monster was dead if it weren’t for its twitching tentacles.

“Gabriel. That’s the name of their hand crossbows. It’s a copy of the real Gabriel, which is named after a famous weapons master in Verden.” Linus looked at the fortress behind the soldiers. It was filled with towers, and a deathly white wall surrounded it. After years of being corroded by the river breeze, the walls seemed like they could collapse at any given moment. And on every turret stood an archer holding a hand crossbow with both hands.

Linus continued, “They might not be as powerful as regular crossbows, but they aren’t as heavy either. They’re more convenient, faster. Thirty seconds is all it needs for someone to fill their enemy with holes. It’s an incredibly useful weapon in skirmishes and sudden attacks. Loved by bandits around Verden.”

“You make it sound like the Cat School’s crossbow.” Roy looked around. “Thank you for that explanation, but are you sure you want to waste your time here?”

Everyone at the shore gave them weird looks the moment Peter was taken off the barge. They were in a time where entertainment was scarce, and the people’s curiosity proved difficult to satisfy. They would do anything to have some fun.

Back in Cintra, a few dozen citizens spent good money on a ticket to see a ‘basilisk.’ Now it was like Linus was holding a free exhibition.

“I don’t think I will.” Linus gritted his teeth and stuffed his name card in Roy’s chest pocket. “You may have ripped me off this time, but I will always welcome you if you have any more creatures for sale.”

Roy laughed heartily. “You are a generous customer. Don’t worry. You’ll get a discount on the next sale. And do please seek Dorregaray out. He will help you.”

“I hope so.”

Roy saw Linus off, and Ciri came to the shore with the soldiers surrounding her. She kept winking at Roy happily, and she even stomped her feet to attract his attention, but Coria held her down by force.

Krauze gave Roy a look that told him to stay away, and he led his troop into Bodrog.

***

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