The Witcher: Elder Blood

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***

- I'll be sure to stop by tomorrow. I don't have a big stockpile, I've got about a hundred marks.... - I managed to convince Jennyfer to invest in our business after all.

I didn't expect any mountains of gold, though; the sorceress was a hatched chicken, like us, except that she had support from her parents. But how much support could there be from ordinary peasants, aka kmet, in the Middle Ages? Yes, they had land. Yes, they could be considered free, at least until war broke out on the land, then the men would be taken away at once. Yes, they had their own cattle, as I had learned from our dialogue with her, but that was not enough. If she were an already-formed sorceress, under some king, then it would be possible to get it from her.... I mean, I meant to make a deposit. But as it is, it's just an average client, even a little below average.

I definitely need to find a replacement, I'm getting tired of talking to them. I'm tired of sitting around all the time. So I prefer mobility, well, at least some action, an activity to my liking, not this ... Attracting clients. But I have to, so I keep going. And when I find a replacement, I will discount all these conversations, filling waste paper and selling goods to another, or others, there as it turns out. I'll open portals myself, help with caravan defence with Detmold, and do interesting work. I just need to find interesting work.

I don't like to get involved in political squabbles like the 'famous' wizards, or more wizards. If necessary, I can overpower my reluctance, but it would be better to devote my time to the magical arts.

Not to say that I liked to directly study the possible depths of magic, I have not done it in principle, but what I can say for sure is a pleasant 'aftertaste' from the new achieved heights in magic. It was the achieved result that outweighed the time I had to spend reading books, constant boring practice and other, not particularly interesting classes at the academy. I will definitely continue to improve as a magician, but I will not devote all the time I have to it. Sometimes I need to relax, to do something else, to unwind, at least not to burn out from this very magic. Otherwise I'll get bored with it, think of it as something ordinary, boring.

Some people find themselves in court games, some become scientists with an adjustment for magic, there are fans of alchemy. I have to--

Thinking, that's what I have to do while I'm waiting for the next client, thinking about what I'm going to do. One of the ideas that came to my mind was to explore the world. To scour the whole continent, to look at the local life and so on, but this is later, first I need to settle down somewhere, not to be a homeless wizard, living on small orders of kmets. You can take your time, magic allows wizards to live happily ever after.... Okay, the last one is not always true, maybe only sometimes... But it's not certain.

The ideal would be to find the modern world at the next transition with the help of the Elder Blood gene, but the last time I used it at the academy under the supervision of the rector, and it's a dangerous occupation. 'Jumping' around the worlds without stopping won't work either, the expenditure of energy is exorbitant, after the third transition in a row I get tired as if I had been fighting with magic for an hour. And the most important thing is the chance. What is the chance to find in countless worlds the one that is even a little bit similar to my past one?

To my deepest regret, inexperience in magic at the time of getting to this world, did not allow me to 'save' the spatial coordinates of my home world. There's no way to get back, unless it's randomised.

- Are you listening to me? - The girl frowned.

- Of course, Yennifer. I'll look forward to your arrival. And don't worry, you'll get nothing but profit from us.

- I'm not worried. Well, I'll be off then, I have to look for the mirror, I forgot all about it. See you tomorrow, Eren! - she waved goodbye.

What mirror? I must have listened. I'll make sure I have a day off in the next town. And today I must remember to spar, I just need to find someone to spar with, swinging a sword against the air is not so interesting and developing.

Training with a sword was not a necessity in my case, that is, the very possession of cold weapons was not part of the basic qualities of a magician. There are not many of them - owners of the same sword - among wizards, druids and other representatives of the magical fraternity. They're rare, and, that, to me, makes them ... Special? More of an empowerment. I'm special because of the Elder Blood gene, and my ego is a little bribed, but only a little, it's not that strong.

Fighting with a blade with a style I've developed (a mixture of Vesemir's and my own spells) allows me to deal with unfriendly warlocks without any problems (only in theory at the moment), which is facilitated by their habit of using magic at medium distances. Of course, there are all sorts of defence spells. Some have their own defence artefacts and such, but their help is debatable when the same mage is within swinging distance in a matter of seconds, and then gives no time to prepare a new spell or enchantment.

But not all sorcerers are weak at close range, the same rector of Ban Ard Academy - Hela Gedymgate - is able to strengthen himself, has in his arsenal dozens of instant (or close to instant use) charms that can turn the tide of battle to his side, if he is approached in close proximity. And this, it's worth considering, despite the fact that the Rector is considered more of a scholarly recluse than a battle mage.

It's scary to imagine what a martial mage, who has dedicated his life to fighting, and who fully organises his magical hypostasis for combat, is capable of. Even without my Blinks, he can do a lot, and that's just with my knowledge of magic, and I still have a lot to learn on my own, gradually deepening my mastery of Chaos.

- Are you so dazzled by this girl's beauty, Eren? What took you so long to talk to her? - Detmold was there as soon as I was alone in the shop. Next came Galanthea's curious face.

- She's a sorceress, first on this list,' I raise the book with all the records above my head. - Not enough?

- Well, I don't know... If you're not attracted to her, then I'll go after her,' he grinned lewdly, his thumb pointing at his chest.

- He ended his statement just as I was about to take a sip of the diluted wine from the goblet on the bar. - God, that's a lot of confidence. If you succeed, then I will summon the people in the next town instead of you.

- That's a piece of cake.

- And if you don't, then you'll deliver the money yourself,' I opened the book and ran my finger down the list of names and addresses.

I open the book and run my finger over the list of names and addresses. His face shows a work of thought, clearly unsure of success.

- I'm telling you, it's like pissing on two fingers.

- Don't piss on my fingers,' Galanthea waved her palm in his direction, turning sideways to him.

- All right, all right, that's enough. You'll show your skills tomorrow, lover.

- Why wait till tomorrow?

- Tomorrow she'll come to put the stamps in.

***

The next day, unlike the last, I spent on my own, first sorting out the rest of the goods and then buying new ones. We didn't plan to be late, so I harnessed the horses and checked the crates in the wagon.

Galanthea was lying on a bench nearby, a pleasant tune coming from her as she rested with her eyes closed, putting her arms under her head for comfort.

- Who's coming, it's all within the expected range. Get up, we'll be leaving soon,' I notice Detmold approaching.

- Hmm? Ah-ah-ah. - Galanthea opened her eyes, looked in the direction I indicated, smiled slightly and came towards me, leaning on the cart. She had already thrown her lute on top of the cart.

- I take it - you have been rejected, oh our devourer of women's hearts.

- How did you know?

- The last time you had that face was the day you blew your money on a horse race in Ban Arda. But I'll be honest, it looked more angry and unpleasant then, but now it's more pitiful.

- Fuck her, bitch! 'Oh, so you're a warlock? I'm sorry, when I first saw you I thought it was an enchantment.... You know, you were so much like our roosters. They also shriek in the morning. Ha-ha!' - his impersonation was accompanied by attempts to repeat the movements of the person he was impersonating. - You could tell her character was just unbearable.

Galanthea and I looked at each other, our eyes wide with surprise. It was true that I had more than likely expected him to be sent away, but to be sent away like that...

- Insulting,' said Galantea.

- Yeah, that was a bit harsh. What did you say to her before?

Detmold did not answer at once, he climbed onto the cart first. He threw back his head and gathered his thoughts, remembering the conversation. And then he spoke:

- Told the pure truth and only the truth! I, one of the best spellcasters to have graduated from Ban Ard Academy, could use her company in our wanderings. To keep each other warm at night.....

- Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha,' Galantea laughed gaily. - I-I-I can't, ahah-ah-ah!

- Is that funny? - I asked her. - To me, something like that makes me want to fall under the ground and pretend I don't know him.

- Hey! If you'd said something about her bad temper, it wouldn't have happened.

- I didn't know it myself,' I decide to whitewash myself through Galanthea's unceasing laughter.

- Ha-ha-ha, you said it. I once came across a romantic novel. So there, one of the best knights of the kingdom! - she jokingly raised my sword, previously resting in its scabbard against the cart. - Turning to his beloved, he said: 'We need no hearth of warmth, we can warm ourselves in our wanderings!' - For the second part of her performance, she pressed her cheek against the scabbard while embracing my sword.

- What was that for? - I decided to ask, not fully understanding, while taking my sword from her clinging hands.

- Eren! More attention to detail. He's hitting on the sorceress with a phrase from the novel. We've got a romance lover here, and you wouldn't know it at first glance.

- It's not like that! Why are we sitting here? Let's go, there's nothing more to do.

- It's hard with you, - I shake my head. - Come on, Snowy, get in the cart, - I help her to climb up.

- Why 'Snowdrop'?

- Whenever I look at your hair, there is always one familiar flower in it - snowdrop, - I take out a white flower that has opened from her hair. - Where do you even get them? I haven't seen you tearing up local beds in front of me.

- You should know! - She stuck out her tongue, 'Ow! That hurts! - for which she received a slap on the arse, which finally threw her on the cart.

- Shall I call you 'Spud'? Why, you always have flowers growing on you.

- No, no, no, that's no good, I like Snowdrop better! Ha, that'll be my stage name! And-and-and Snowflower is performing tonight! She'll be playing to your ears all night long!

- Come on, can I go now? - muttered Detmold in our direction, reins in his hands.

- Go on. Galanthea, play something cheerful, or his lean face will make your flowers wilt. And yes, we'll take the next town off, I'm getting sick of the constant haggling.

The strings of the lute announced our departure. Ahead of us were uncharted cities and kingdoms we had yet to visit.