"...Is that so? Still no news? Thank you. I'll come back again."
Triss left the Church of the Eternal Fire, dragging her exhausted body along. Her face was dark as she walked down the street. She had visited the church several times already, only to be told every time that the divine messenger was away. This only deepened the doubts in Triss's heart. Could something have happened to Ciri? Could she have been used by someone, or perhaps imprisoned...?
Feeling increasingly irritated, Triss went to a nearby tavern, intending to have a drink and rest. Yet, to her surprise, the moment she pushed open the door and stepped inside, she heard a burst of cheering.
"That young lady is incredible!"
"Go for it!!"
What was going on here?
Seeing the crowd gathered around a table in the tavern, Triss could not help growing curious. Taverns were naturally noisy, complicated places, but it was still daytime. Aside from a few hopeless drunks, there were usually hardly any customers at this hour. Yet the lively atmosphere before her was clearly unusual. There were not only humans, but even elves and dwarves among the crowd. This immediately piqued Triss's interest, and she walked over to peer into the center of the gathering.
At first, Triss thought someone might be having a drinking contest or playing Gwent—after all, those were generally the only two things in a tavern that drew a crowd. But what she saw was completely beyond her expectations. At the center of all those watching stood a girl in a black robe and black headscarf. She held a knife and fork, calmly eating the food on the plate before her. At a glance, it looked like an ordinary meal, yet for some reason, everyone around her wore excited, thrilled expressions.
"What