Embarking on the Journey

Roy accepted Letho's invitation.

Becoming a Witcher wasn't a bad choice, considering he hadn't awakened any sorcerer's magic talent himself.

It was just a bit surprising that the school wasn't the one he yearned for, the familiar Wolf School. Instead, it was a dying School of the Viper, known in the future for poison, short swords, and assassination.

But opportunities don't wait. Staying in this remote village, the speed of improving his strength was undeniably unsatisfactory. Soon, they would face the invasion of the Nilfgaardian army, and perhaps unknown Monsters would attack. Such a fate was full of uncertainty.

Following the veteran Witcher Letho, at least for the next two to three years, he could achieve rapid progress in strength and learn a lot of professional Witcher knowledge. If he could pass the Trial of the Grasses, his strength would undergo earth-shattering changes.

What was the side effect of being unable to have children?

Whether before or after transmigration, he hadn't considered this issue.

Convincing Old Mol and his wife didn't take much effort from Roy. The couple was not yet forty, and they had yearned for the big city. They didn't have the reluctance of older people to leave their homeland, just a slight nervousness.

The Witcher's promise was a rare opportunity. The troublesome part was that the old couple strongly opposed Roy leaving their side.

He was not yet fourteen this year. Even if children in a backward society matured earlier, most boys his age still stayed with their parents, relying on their protection to survive.

Who would willingly let their child follow a Witcher into life and death?

Roy could only tell a lie.

"Dad, Susie. I'm not going with Master Letho to fight Monsters with a weapon like you imagine. I'm just an assistant to Master Letho, similar to when I was an apprentice under Uncle Fletcher, just with different work. Because Witchers have no concept of money, they don't know how to manage the commissions they get from contracts and often spend the money they earn in a year within a few days."

Roy wasn't lying about this. Most Witchers had extremely chaotic management of their income. Their lives on the edge of a blade had cultivated a habit of instant gratification. They often spent the commission money they received immediately on alcohol, women, or even Gwent boards.

The daily maintenance of armor and weapons, and the consumption of Alchemy materials were also huge expenses. Therefore, some Witchers lived extremely frugally. Geralt, the Wolf School Witcher, was one of them, occasionally needing help from his confidantes.

"I'm just going to manage accounts for Lord Letho this time, similar to an employee of Vivaldi Bank. And we won't be separated forever. After some time, I promise I'll go to Novigrad to see you."

"Little Roy, don't lie to Dad. You've never learned any culture since you were little. You can't even recognize all the words, let alone do arithmetic."

Old Mol and his wife looked disbelieving until Roy, a high school student from his previous life, briefly demonstrated basic arithmetic operations.

Everyone, including the Witchers, listened in a daze... Old Mol and his wife had no room to argue and, crying, believed Roy's tall tale.

It took the couple a day to pack all their valuable belongings. The farmland didn't belong to them, so they couldn't take it. In reality, they only took a few sets of old clothes and, after settling all the trivial matters, they set off.

The group leaving Kaye Village set off.

Most of the villagers of Kaye came out to watch, mostly pointing and speaking with disdain and contempt.

Traditional values were deeply ingrained in these Aedirnian farmers. In their eyes, Witchers, apart from helping people deal with Monster infestations, were lowly freaks and symbols of ill omen.

People were prejudiced against Witchers, so they couldn't understand why Old Mol and his family were leaving with a Witcher.

After deciding to move, many villagers came to persuade them. Old Mol and his wife had wavered, but Roy was quite disappointed with the villagers after the incident with the Butcher and his son. He patiently persuaded his parents again. He was much more decisive than the old couple when it came to making decisions.

Before they left, his only friend, One-Eyed Jack, came to see them off. He patted Roy's head.

"Time flies so fast. You were such a dull and shy little guy back then, and now you've become a thick-skinned, brave little rascal. I knew you'd leave this godforsaken poor place sooner or later. Look at these dark and bright eyes, they seem to see my youthful appearance, filled with ambition and secrets."

Is that so? Roy didn't think he had any ambition, just a few small wishes.

"You're leaving Kaye with a Witcher, and you'll never come back, will you? I'm old and my bones are weak, otherwise I'd accompany you to the big city to try your luck. By the way, since you avenged my old buddy with your own hands, Uncle has something as a farewell gift."

One-Eyed Jack reluctantly handed Roy a Gwent deck of thirty-five cards.

"This Skellig deck I've treasured for a long time has no hero cards, but all the rare cards are here. Take it, carry Uncle's hope, and let the world witness your Gwent skills. Big cities often hold Gwent tournaments, use this deck to conquer them, kid!"

Roy solemnly put the cards inside his clothes and then hid them in his Storage Space. The market value of this Gwent deck was probably over two hundred Crowns. Old Jack's gift was not light.

"If you have the chance, when you get to Novigrad, go to house number 320 by the moat, and find an old guy named Frank, and give him... give him my regards."

After saying that, Old Jack gave Roy a final, firm hug and waved goodbye.

Watching the wisps of white smoke above Kaye grow increasingly blurry in his vision, Roy felt a strange emotion surge within him.

This body, half of his soul, still held some attachment to the birthplace where he had lived for over a decade. But soon, this trace of attachment was replaced by a yearning for new adventures.

After Old Mol and his wife cried and hugged Roy for a long time, they parted ways.

Cerret and Oakes took them in a carriage, heading north along Xiabosada, directly to the capital of Aedirn, Fangerburg, then transferred to a carriage heading west across Temeria, entering Redania, and heading for Novigrad.

This route relied on slow carriages and took quite a long time, about a month.

Meanwhile, Letho took Roy with light luggage, two people on one horse, as Roy couldn't ride. They sped west across Edessberg, crossed the Mahakam Mountains, and headed towards the coastal region, towards Cintra, which faced Skellig across the sea.

Yes, they were hiding it from Old Mol and his wife and not going to Novigrad for now.

According to Letho, they needed to collect special herbs for the Trial of the Grasses along the way, gather Monster mutagens, and coincidentally observe and teach this new apprentice.

Letho himself also had a secret investigation to complete in Cintra. After settling the old couple, the Cerret brothers would meet them in Cintra.

This journey was exactly what Roy wanted.

"In the year 1260, Ciri's mother, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, known as the Lion Cub of Cintra, was eight or nine years old? She was already engaged to Prince Cridas of the Kingdom of Verden."

He wondered if this little girl had run away from home yet.

He also wanted to see if the little girl was as ugly as depicted in the oil painting.