Witcher's Atelier

Victor hurried down the stairs. The store manager Marcus was dozing off behind the counter, sleeping soundly in a tactical backward position.

Pushing open the door, the square was bustling with people, the sound of shouting and buying and selling came and went, and the tall figure disappeared without a trace.

Jacques of Aldeburg...did he really come just now? Or was he dozing off too?

In the past half month, the gold coin inventory has been restored, and the potion bombs are sufficient. The boy has been corrupted by the "invincible" and comfortable life, living a peaceful life with alchemy workshops, fish markets, Cripple Kate, the Master Square, books and scrolls, and five o'clock patrols.

The boy, who had no worries, even lost interest in going out to beat people at night, and almost thought he had returned to the carefree time in the fairy tale world.

But what happened just now reminded Victor that it was too early to enjoy a leisurely retirement life. There were many people who could crush him, and it was not time to take a big vacation.

Go back into the store and wake Marcus up. After buying "White Frost: Mysterious Natural Disaster or Phenomenon", Victor left the bookstore and walked towards the Novigrad bulletin board.

...

"Hunting the Bat"

Where are you hiding, you shameless rat?

Is your courage only for those scum?

I'll wait for you in Beggar Square tonight!

See you there.

——Bosler

Looking at the date of the call for papers, Victor felt very sorry. It seems that he will not be able to keep the appointment for the challenge seven days ago.

But he can't help but miss the appointment. Superheroes who are motivated by interest, within their ability, go out and beat up bad guys as soon as they think of it, which is already a gentle expression of society. It is stupid to rashly put saving the world on their shoulders.

There are countless pieces of paper posted on the bulletin board. It is not easy to find meaningful information from them, but Victor thinks he needs to cheer up and keep his original intention.

…

At dusk, at the Novigrad harbor, seagulls soared in the sky, the setting sun shone in the west, the sparkling water was picturesque, and the sailors, drunkards, beggars and prostitutes formed the embellishment of the landscape.

Usually, this place belongs to the Beggar King's territory, but Victor came here to find Bosler today, because Mr. Hawthorne had a ship arriving at the port, and the cargo was more important, so the white-haired elf came to supervise in person.

After living in Novigrad for nearly a month, the Dragonborn poet was considered a celebrity, especially after Fergus's blacksmith shop opened. At least in the Beggar King's territory, he was not regarded as an outsider, but a recognized local resident.

His clothes were neither ostentatious nor conspicuous in the port, so the ruffians would not try to stop him for money, and it was easy to get the right direction when asking for directions, so he saw Bosler waving to welcome him not far away.

"Hi, my friend, how come you have time to come and see me today?"

"I found something interesting on the bulletin board, and I couldn't help but come and ask, I heard that you challenged Batman to a fight? How was the result?"

That's right, Victor came here to find Bosler, just to get information, temporarily get out of the inactive state, and of course the work of disguise and beating people will start again, he doesn't want to run into a possible trap.

The younger brother next to the white-haired elf spat disdainfully, "Bah! That rat doesn't dare to show up at all. Mr. Bosler waited for him all night and he didn't show up. He is not as brave as described in the poem."

Bosler shook his head: "Inviting him to fight is because the gang must respond to provocations. Since he didn't show up, it means it's just an individual case, and the matter will just pass."

The calm attitude made the boy feel at ease.

"I see, I feel like this guy is quite interesting."

"Personally, I admire him. Protecting women is chivalry, but on the other hand, I look down on his awareness. Just kill the bastards. It's meaningless to injure them. They will relapse after they recover."

"It sounds like you don't like what your men are doing?"

The white-haired elf: "Order. Only reasonable order can lead to long-term rule. Mr. Alphonse always says so. And I agree with that. So the three bastards who disrupted the order are now reflecting on their disruptive behavior in the sea."

At this time, a subordinate came over, "Sir, the cargo has almost been unloaded from the ship."

Bosler: "Mr. Victor, maybe you should stay away for a while. What happens here next, the nobles or poets don't seem to like it."

He waved his hand to ask the boy to leave.

Just as he was about to speak, the commotion at the dock attracted Victor's attention. It was a fleeing teenager. Slight malnutrition made him pale and thin. He was followed by several sailors chasing him. He ran in a panic towards the direction where Bosler and Victor were standing.

The white-haired elf put his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to strike, but after looking at the dragonborn poet, he did not draw his sword as usual and cut the fugitive in half. Instead, he stretched out his foot and tripped him lightly, causing him to fall to the ground, his face covered with blood and fainting.

"Help... please... save me...", his dry and cracked nails were stained with blood. The boy crawled forward with difficulty, crawling step by step towards Victor's boots. The moment he almost touched them, the poet took two steps back.

Victor looked at Bosler with a tangled expression, "Trafficking in people?"

The white-haired elf spread his hands, smiled bitterly and nodded, "It's a legitimate and reasonable business, but some people find it difficult to accept, such as Master Dandelion. I respect their kind ideas, but business is business."

The boy has a tattoo on his neck. He is a Skellige.

Two sailors came over, lifted his feet and dragged him in the opposite direction. His nosebleeds and fingers left bloody streaks on the deck.

"Wait!", Victor said softly.

The two sailors stopped for a moment, then saw the white-haired elf nod, let go of the Skellige boy's feet, and stepped aside.

"If you drag it back like this, others will be ruined!"

"I don't intend to keep him alive, I just don't want to deal with him in front of you. It would be a good choice to take him back and dissect him to show others, so that they know how escaped slaves are dealt with."

His face was rubbed hard by the deck and was described as a devil, but his eyes strongly expressed his will to live. He looked at the apprentice witcher for help.

Don’t ask how the eyes release the will to seek help or survive, you’ll understand when you see it.

"Can I buy him?" Victor pointed to the mud on the ground.

"He's yours." Boslair answered simply.

"But I must remind you, sir, that he has not finished taming him yet, and he still has the courage to escape. Take him back and be careful to repay kindness with enmity. The story of the farmer and the snake is not uncommon."

Observing the eagerness of the two Hawthorne men next to him, Victor knew that as long as he shook his head, the next moment they would drag the boy away from the ground and let him die slowly in pain.

"If you haven't seen it, you can pretend you don't know it, but since it's right in front of you, thank you for the gift, Bosler."

The white-haired elf waved his hand freely, but in his mind this was not a big deal.

Victor knelt down and looked at the boy, his eyes were brown, "What's your name?"

"Lou...Luf..." He said inarticulately.

"Luff!?"

Thank you for subscribing. Thank you for your monthly and recommended votes. Thanks to book friend Tao Chenggong for the reward and encouragement.