The Divine Hunter

For Brugg and Soden, Mayena is a transit point to Maripo, the second largest city in Temeria.

But it was smaller than most of the cities the witcher had seen, Vizima, Elland, Sintra.

There is only one wide and flat main road in the city, and narrow alleys on both sides of the street lead to residential areas.

Further back and close to the periphery, the city walls are towering, and there are many sentries.

Thanks to its unique geographical location, Mayena's business is relatively developed. There are shops along the street, and the shelves are full of dazzling goods... flowers, perfumes, daily necessities, and hawkers enthusiastically wave their hands to attract business.

Roy wandered around, but failed to find the wolf pie mark left by Geralt, so he went to the most well-informed tavern.

Early-morning pubs are usually deserted.

The largest slug tavern in the center of the city is already brightly lit and full of people.

The dim yellow magic lamp flickered, and the strong smell of wine and the cheerful lute rushed towards him.

Roy sat in front of the bar to observe and listen for a while.

A group of drunken drinkers writhes around in the middle of the dance floor, dangling "September" beer bellies, and dances hilariously.

Some men put their arms around the slender waist of the tavern maid, hiding in the shadows in the corner and telling jokes. The woman laughed angrily and slapped his chest and backs of hands covered with black hair.

There were also a few men leaning on their backs by the window, like guillotines on death row, snoring and drooling on the street outside the tavern.

The round tables in the hall were filled with guests.

The dark-skinned, gloomy-looking man, speaking in a Maribo accent with a bit of a tongue, complained that local prices had risen three times in a row in a month, and he couldn't open the fire at home, and blamed all this on the free food and drink outside the city. refugees!

Another fat man with a big belly with a Sintra accent, drunkenly showing off his past glory to his companions, a carriage ride, a beautiful wife, a big fat boy.

However, after a war, the most valuable real estate was seized by Nilfgaard.

He is now alone, and the money he brings will be "robbed" by the inn and pub in Mayena.

When he ran out of money, the soldiers would turn him out of the city gate as a beggar and become a part of a refugee camp, living on free clear soup with little water and tooth-hard brown bread.

at last,

A burly Soden man was drinking Mahakam spirits cup by cup, his face flushed red, his eyes were fierce, and he wanted to kill with a knife immediately.

He scolded Nilfgaard's Heijia Army loudly, claiming that if he had participated in the battle of Sodan, he would be able to drive the Heijia Army back to the city of Jinta in just a few days, and then retake Sintra and marry him. The missing princess is his wife!

Unfortunately, he slept late on the day the war broke out.

After a sleep, Soden had fallen for most of the time.

Now, King Eckhard of Soden is killed in battle, and his nephew, King Foltest of Temeria, will naturally take Soden into his own domain.

He also took this to complain that Foltest was too slow to respond. Why haven't soldiers been sent to fight against Soden to rebuild the mountains and rivers?

...

No matter which northern country the guests of the tavern came from, at this moment, they were just a group of people who were affected by the war and were frustrated and drunk.

After the war, all the depression and dissatisfaction were vented in the slug tavern!

And the three bodyguard thugs near the entrance of the tavern looking at all the guests like fat sheep from time to time, no one dared to make trouble!

...

The fat bartender looked at the guests in front of the bar. He was dressed in light leather armor, slender, with a pair of sunglasses. His aura was calm and handsome, and he was not inferior to the little white faces that the ladies took care of.

Expressionless at the moment.

The bartender noticed the slender but explosive muscles on his forearm showing his sleeves, so he pointed at this guy's aura and figure, he was definitely not an ordinary person.

"What?" he asked a second time.

"A glass of cherry wine." The young voice was a little magnetic and pleasant to the ear.

The bartender wiped his handle on his dark apron, filled an open mug with a large glass of pale red kirsch, and placed it in front of him, as if waiting for something.

"Boss, has anything major happened in the city recently?"

"Are you a mercenary and want to find a job?" The bartender wiped the bottle on the wine cabinet. "You have a good eye! Soden is busy rebuilding after the war. Many merchants from south to north are here to transport supplies. It also means a lot of bodyguard work, if you are willing, I will introduce you to one?"

Roy stared at him silently.

"Okay, blame me for talking."

"Innumerable great events take place every day in this world, especially Mayena, which is close to Sodden - the center of all turmoil today! I heard that the monarchs of the great northern kingdoms, Foltest, Demawi, Henselt ...will meet the envoy from the south at the fortress soon, and decide the direction of the war!" The bartender cleared his throat and filled him with half a glass of kirsch.

"The refugee camp outside the city is expanding again! Our knights have been overwhelmed and have applied to His Majesty the King for financial assistance many times."

"Two days ago, another woman's corpse was found at the entrance of the alley. It was the daughter of a local businessman. She was suspected of being assassinated by Soden immigrants. The City Merchants Association intends to unite to put pressure on the sheriff, demanding that the murderer be caught and hanged as soon as possible!"

The bartender stopped abruptly, staring at the witcher, the golden light of the crown shone in it.

"One more kirsch." Roy took three krona and ten coppers.

The bartender smiled happily and put three of the crowns in the interlayer of the apron pocket and refilled him another glass.

"A week ago, a businessman from Outer Livia kidnapped Ainz, the honorary ambassador in the city, and even dared to return to the city in a grand manner, only to be caught by the guards and imprisoned in the dungeon... severely tortured! "

Outer Livia, that is, the area of ​​Leiria and the Kingdom of Livia that borders the eastern border of Sodden.

"It is strange that this Livia businessman brought a strong mercenary, a white-haired mutant... and was also locked up."

"A mutant with white hair?" Roy's heart skipped a beat, he couldn't remember any witcher other than Geralt with white hair like snow, and asked, "About 6 feet 2 tall, well-proportioned, with two arms on his back. sword?"

The bartender laughed without saying a word,

"Continued Cup!"

The bartender shook his head silently, and held out five fingers at him.

Roy suddenly pushed aside the high stool and stood up, his back just blocking the sight of the bodyguards.

The five fingers of the left hand flashed past him like lightning.

After the light blue light.

The bartender's eyes immediately became dull, and he answered the question obediently.

"That guy used to be Geralt of Rivia, and he knew from the name that he came from the same place as the merchant. The merchant of Rivia hired him to kidnap the Honorary Ambassador Ainz together... The two of them didn't have any evidence to prove their innocence, but instead Making up a ridiculous and absurd reason why Ainz was melted for no reason."

"Kidnapping, and some even claim that they came from the occupied Sintra and were Nilfgaardian spies. No matter how you look at it, this is no small crime! Ainz is one of Mayena's food suppliers. One, he supported some of the refugees outside the city, but he disappeared, the price of goods in the city will inevitably rise, making the people's lives even more stretched!

"Just north of the city, under the tallest tower."

"Geralt, Geralt, you are trying to make trouble for yourself at this time, why don't you find Ciri?" Roy took a sip of the slightly sweet wine and complained, "Why do you want to be a demon hunter? Stupidly asking the soldiers to arrest... Don't you know how to resist and treat the Axifa seal as a display?"

He looked at the bartender, "What should I do to get into the dungeon and see them?"

The bartender paused, his eyes began to become vivid and bright,

"There's an old saying that all doors open for money."

...

A scorching torch was inserted into an iron cradle on the craggy rock wall.

Two shadows were cast on the dirty floor by the light of the torches.

The white-haired witcher moved his eyelids and woke up from the long meditation. The pain in his body eased slightly. He wiped his wet cheeks and looked around.

Two unkempt prisoners lay in the iron grill opposite, snoring rhythmically.

And Geralt sleeps next to what looks like a meat ball covered in blood, welts, and a tattered silk robe. In fact, it is a once wealthy businessman with a smile on his face. Unfortunately, he has only been in prison for a week, and he has already been tortured. is about to collapse

"Yurga, are you alright?" A tenacious and warm palm patted the businessman's back, and the other party woke up with a "uh" sound.

"Hey! The back hurts... Geralt, are we still in the dungeon?" He wiped his eyes with his muddy hands, as if he thought the darkness, coldness, and dampness in front of him were just hallucinations.

"If no one comes to rescue, we'll probably be locked up to bones, or tied to the gallows before that." The witcher's voice remained calm.

"Damn it!" Yurga propped up his body and leaned his back against the cold and wet wall, with a wet fat face and a hint of annoyance in his small round eyes, "Sorry! Geralt, I hurt you. You Saved my life, not only did I not give you the reward you asked for, but I implicated you and pulled you into this muddy water!"

"We can't hand over Ainz at all! We won't be able to leave this prison for the rest of our lives!" He choked on his puffy and pale cheeks, holding his head like a humming wild boar. "I'll never see Christidea again..."

"She is young and beautiful, and she will be a widow before she is twenty-five years old! No, maybe she will remarry with my property."

"My God! My two children, Nedbergh and Sulik, are still young. What if they have an abusive stepfather?"

Geralt shook his head. He really didn't know what trick this businessman had to keep his emotions alive and active, sighing every day.

"Yurga, I advise you to save your strength." The white wolf spit on the ground, and a rust smell came out of his mouth, "The whip will be drawn into the flesh later, it will hurt even more if you can't shout! "

"Crack!"

The iron gate at the entrance of the dungeon opened a gap.

A faint white light came in.

The sound of the door opening was like a demon's sneer, making Yurga tremble like a sieve.

"They're here again, Goddess Freya, Goddess Meritelli, Prophet Rebioda, Owen the Father of the Sky, Eternal Fire, Gods, bless me, invulnerable, just this time!"

"Tattoo!" A light footstep sounded from far to near.

Both of them couldn't help holding their breath.

However, the expected scolding, the sound of the iron door opening, was replaced by a mocking laughter.

The light of the torches illuminated a familiar figure outside the iron grille.

"Roy?!"

Geralt stared at the strange-colored pupils that were bent into slits, his heart fell heavily, and he let out a long sigh of relief.

"How did you get in?"

"The Prophet has his own tricks! But I can't stay for long, only a quarter of an hour."

"I knew it!" Bai Lang held the iron railings with both hands, his tone fluctuated slightly, "You had a premonition that I would get into trouble, so you came to save me on purpose?"

"You can think so." Roy looked at the witcher whose face was dirty, his body stenched with dense blood scabs and scars, and even his white hair had lost its luster, and said harshly, "But I really didn't. Thinking of how a demon hunter could be thrown into prison without resistance? Where's your Axifa seal?"

"Master Geralt knows this Your Excellency?" Yurga's fat face was immediately attached to the railing, squeezed out of shape, his sparse eyebrows divided into a figure-eight shape, and grinned at Roy to please Roy, "Can you let him save us? go out!"

"Don't worry, man, this is my brother Roy." Geralt stared at his companion and explained seriously, "You should understand, Roy, I have been tricked by fate countless times. I already have a lot of experience, the current encounter is obviously a test, and I have to solve this test in order to successfully find Ciri, cheat, or give up... Then all I get is punishment in the end."

Roy sneered and shook his head, but when his eyes turned to Yurga, a businessman from Outer Livia, he couldn't say anything to refute.

This humble, chubby businessman's identity is not simple.

He once appeared in Roy's memory, and he played a vital role in Geralt's first search for a daughter.

Originally, Roy thought that the first Northern War had been brought forward by half a year, and the butterfly wings flapped the hurricane, and Geralt could no longer have any intersection with this guy.

However, the encounter plays out in another way.

It can be seen that Geralt's words are not unreasonable. Fate and the law of accident have been quietly showing the mysterious and unpredictable power!

"Listen, I'll get you guys out! But I need to understand what's going on. What happened?"

...

"I'll explain, Mr. Roy!" The fat man straightened his tattered collar, "I was involved in the whole accident!"

"Yurga, hurry up and make a long story short!"

"A week ago, I met Ainz, a grain merchant and honorary ambassador from Mayena, to discuss business in a wood in the north of the city! He helped me purchase supplies that Livia and Soden were in short supply, and I used my channels in Livia. Buy him a batch of food."

Business in the woods?

Roy was a little surprised, but didn't interrupt.

"Our negotiation has just reached the first step, and the negotiation collapsed... He wants to buy almost all moldy and spoiled grains and flour with long insects. You know, if it is used to make bread, it will definitely damage the consumers greatly. Healthy. Even if I think with my feet and stomach, I can guess, the recipient of poison bread."

"They are already a group of poor homeless people, why should they be subjected to such abuse?"

Roy suddenly realized that it turned out to be relief food for refugees!

"Although I can make huge profits in the past few years by taking this deal, I rejected him, there is no bottom line for being a man!"

Yurga's fat face froze, and every piece of shaking fat was upright and awe-inspiring.

Roy glanced at Geralt, who nodded at him.

Obviously, White Wolf personally confirmed it with Axi.

This fat man doesn't seem to have a sense of justice.

But a little doubt arose in Roy's heart. The honorable ambassador of Mayena, with such a noble status, would do such a crazy thing?

"The bad is bad in the second half. On our way back to the city, we passed a forest and suddenly saw a strong red light. It was unbelievable. It was as if thousands of red candles were lit, and the light covered a small forest. !" Speaking of this, Fatty's eyes became very strange, with a little fear, and a little yearning?

"No, it's a little red sun, shining brightly!"

Roy's face became weird.

"Out of curiosity, I took my servant Proffey, and Ainz led his servant Mato into the woods shrouded in red light. We spent about five minutes exploring, but couldn't find anything. The light source seemed to appear out of thin air. "

"We're going to leave that red-shrouded forest, we're about to leave..." Yurga paused, staring at the corridor between the prisons, dazed for a while, and a strange look bloomed in his round pupils , he raised his voice, and the two inmates who were sleeping in the opposite prison couldn't help but smashed their mouths, "Ainz disappeared suddenly!"

"disappear?"

"Like a melting candle! His body, inside and out, was lit and burned by a red flame!"

Roy thought he was listening to a spooky horror story, and glanced at Geralt again.

The latter nodded firmly to him.

"The red flame, I don't know where it came from, it was raging, but it didn't produce the slightest smoke. For five seconds at most, Ainz only had time to roar twice before it was burnt to pieces, dissipated in the air, and even carried a suit of clothes. All turned to ashes and dust. Nothing left in the end!"

Roy's face was gloomy and dripping.

He thought it was just an ordinary disappearance case, and he was caught by the witcher's senses!

But now - there is no doubt that he has put on a big deal!

He had never heard of such a bizarre incident—the woods glowing red, the living beings burned to ashes in the blink of an eye.

How high the temperature is, even the flame breath of the giant dragon in Skyrim Province can't do it. He believes that most of the warlocks in this world are also incapable of doing this.

Roy rummaged through the knowledge in his mind, but couldn't think of a reason. It was even more outrageous than Dragonborn's absorption of dragon souls!

"Is it possible that Yurga drank too much alcohol or took some drugs that the upper-class nobles were obsessed with, and had hallucinations?" Roy didn't look at the fat man, but asked Geralt instead.

"I've checked and there's nothing to prove your point."

"So you think he's telling the truth?"

"Yes, although I can't guess the reason." Geralt said bluntly.

"Hey, Mr. Roy, you can call me ugly and pedantic, but you can't doubt my integrity. Integrity is the foundation of business!"

"Bullshit! Go on!"

"Me, Profy, and Ainz's servant, Mato, were all terrified! We were worried that we would be implicated and burned to ashes, and we desperately escaped from that spooky forest. I was too fat, and those two smelly The kid actually left me and ran away!"

"I was tired and scared, and my body was weak. When I was passing the only road, I didn't stand firm, and half of my body slipped out." The unbearable memory made Yurga's face show pain. , "Can you understand, a fat man over 200 pounds, half of his body is suspended on a single-plank bridge, and below is the Grand Canyon, the abyss! I am like a whale stranded on the beach, about to suffocate, every second is cruel and inhuman torture!"

"So Geralt happened to pass by and rescued you!" Roy guessed.

"That's right, I was about to die at the time, and I promised to agree to any conditions. Master Geralt extended a helping hand." Yurga smiled gratefully at the white wolf, and added a digression,

"Actually, I know what a witcher wants. I can't wait to give one of my two sons to Master White Wolf for teaching. In this messy world, wars are frequent, and a witcher may live longer than ordinary people. Live better!"

"Experienced!" Roy boasted. It was the first time he had seen someone who took the initiative to send a son to a witcher.

"Unfortunately, Master White Wolf thinks this does not conform to the Law of Accidents! By the way, when he rescued me from the wooden bridge, he proposed the Law of Accidents as a reward... There is no way that there will be a third child in my family that I don't know about and left home last time. At that time, Kristall didn't move at all, and she didn't dare to steal someone behind my back!" The fat man looked confident.

Roy smiled, "Let's get down to business..."

"I rescued him and revealed his identity as a witcher." White Wolf added, "I went back to the red-shrouded forest with him for a walk, but unfortunately, when we got there, the vision was already there. disappeared completely."

"But my pendant is shaking." Geralt's dark cat pupils flickered, "There is a special energy left in that place!"

"Tell me about the location of the woods carefully!"

Soon, Roy got the address information to his heart's content.

"After being rescued, I have no masters..." Fatty continued, "I went back to the city with the master and planned to discuss a solution. After all, the honorary ambassador has a very noble status, and his fate is too bizarre. Who would have thought, we just arrived. The gate of the city was surrounded by a group of guards!"

"The sly Ainz didn't know how to explain to his servants that he would make a big mess if he didn't return to the city for a long time."

"When I left the city, many people saw me walking with him."

Yurga sighed, his face full of bitterness, "Mayena's honorary ambassador disappeared for no reason, this is big news, and someone must be held responsible for this matter, and the sheriff listened to our defense and thought that we had kidnapped Ainz, we just Become a scapegoat!"

"Actually, it's understandable for the sheriff to do this," Roy said from the opposite side. "The red light, flames, burning people to ashes in an instant is unheard of, not to mention that the red light has long since disappeared. You basically have no evidence. , but any normal person will treat you as kidnappers!"

"And it's a kidnapper who has already torn up the ticket and destroyed the corpse!"

Ainz was burned to ashes and could never be found.

"But you have to make a breakthrough." Roy said solemnly, "Profey, your escaped servant, can prove that the energy field really existed, and prove what happened to Ainz!"

"That guy didn't know where to hide, but the soldiers couldn't catch him." Yurga looked resentful, but also a little relieved, "Besides, he was originally mine, even if he showed up, he would only be able to Be regarded as a kidnapping accomplice!"

"And what about Ainz's servant Mato?"

"Mato disappeared and his whereabouts are unknown. At that time, he behaved strangely, seemed to have collapsed, and ran away screaming," recalled the businessman.

"Let's talk about their physical characteristics, I'll be in charge of finding someone!" Roy said solemnly, "Ainz's servant's words should be a little more credible, right?"

...

"Finding Mato can't reverse the outcome!" Geralt shook his head, "Don't you understand? The sheriff needs to give an explanation to the people, especially the refugees outside the city. Just relying on a few humble servants and businessmen, it seems that It's like a completely fabricated testimony, without the slightest convincing, and can't win people's trust."

"You two have given me a big problem!" Roy pondered for a moment,

"So in addition to Mato, you have to find someone with great credibility to endorse you! Prove that the red light that burned the Honorary Ambassador Ainz to ashes did exist."

Wild woods, deeply influential.

A Mayena organization suddenly appeared in Roy's mind.

...

Geralt and Ainz fell into deep thought when they saw each other mutter something strange.

"Hey, boy over there, it's time!"

A cry came from the gate of the iron gate.

"Wait a moment!" Roy replied, and said to the two of them, "I almost have an idea, I will try my best to rescue you! You just need to wait with peace of mind!"

"But before I leave, I still have a question. Ainz was burned to ashes after being exposed to the red light for five minutes. Why are you, your servant, Profy, and Ainz's servant, Mato, unscathed?"

"I don't know." Yurga shook his head with a bewildered face. "But it's not the same. I feel a little change in my body."

"What's changed?" Roy raised his eyebrows. During the observation, he was normal except for minor injuries.

"It's hard to describe, you understand, but my body is a lot lighter than before, like letting go of some kind of psychological burden..."

"Well, the weird red light in the woods, the honorary ambassador who was burned to ashes, and the two servants who escaped, I almost remember it clearly." Roy waved his hand and threw Guvihir into the iron grille.

"Hide it well, Geralt. If you two are in danger that you can't handle while I'm investigating, flick the ridge three times, and I'll take you two away when I sense it."

"Life is the most important thing, when the time comes, you won't care about any laws!"

He threw two small life potions to Yurga.

The fat businessman's back was covered in blood scabs, his face was exhausted, and he was obviously tortured a lot.

Roy couldn't let him die like that.

"If you can't stand the pain, just drink a bottle!"

The merchant immediately tucked into his arms carefully, having always been interested in the witcher's potion.

"Okay you two, take care! I have a hunch that there will be good news soon!"

Roy gave Geralt a meaningful smile, "Maybe I can give you a surprise."

...