Twisted Talent

In the evening, Roy returned to the mill, retrieved the still-warm skewers of roasted meat, and placed them by the warehouse door. He knocked, then went into the living room.

At dinner, Roy brought up Faywen with Henk and his wife. Their descriptions matched Tross's essentially.

He then tried to probe indirectly, asking why they didn't send their daughter to the House of Cadell.

Toya was young and disabled, a member of a vulnerable group. The House of Cadell might accept such a student. But the couple only made excuses about not being able to afford the tuition, and insisted that Toya wasn't bright enough for it.

Roy gained a deeper understanding of the couple's bottom line and said no more.

After a hasty dinner, he found an unexpected visitor before returning to his room.

The oil lamp hanging on the wall illuminated a small figure standing with her back to him at the doorway. She was slightly hunched, one shoulder higher than the other, carefully wiping blueberries one by one before placing them gingerly onto a bucket outside the door.

Having finished, she let out a heavy sigh, preparing to return to the warehouse. But as she turned, she saw the figure behind her.

She froze. On her small, round face, the happy smile instantly solidified, then she helplessly lowered her head, trembling all over.

But this time, she didn't run away.

"Toya, don't be scared, I mean no harm..." Roy offered a smile as gentle as he could, maintaining a distance of ten feet, not rushing towards her. "I just wanted to say thank you. The fruit you've been leaving for me these past few days was fresh and tasted great."

"You..." The girl was silent for a few seconds, then took a deep breath, as if mustering great resolve. Turning her face away, she stammered, "Aren't you afraid of me?"

Her voice was as clear as a warbler's, with a touch of a little girl's innocent charm, and brimming with nervousness.

"Why do you ask?" Roy deliberately met her eyes. "I think you're no different from any other girl..."

Toya's breath hitched, her heart seeming to stop. No one had ever said such a thing to her. Not even her dearest father had uttered those words she longed to hear.

It felt like sand had gotten into her eyes, and a sourness welled up.

Roy continued, "Those morally bankrupt brats only know how to run around, cause trouble, play pranks, and mock others. But you're already taking care of livestock and poultry, tending to the garden and fields. You're feeding yourself with your own hands."

"You're amazing," Roy said familiarly with a laugh. "I think it's necessary to formally introduce myself. My name is Roy, I'm about your age, the son of a farmer from Xiabosada, and I haven't been in Edersberg long. Toya, you've accepted my gifts these past few days, and you've even given me a return gift. So, we're friends now."

"Friends?" Toya felt the word was impossibly distant... When she was very young, she had a few friends. But ever since her body started having problems and her ugly hunchback became more pronounced, those friends gradually drifted away. They even avoided her like the plague. She could barely remember what those friends looked like now; her mind was filled with the malicious expressions of people laughing, cursing, and mocking her.

She didn't dare to hope she could make a friend again.

The firelight illuminated her bewildered face. Toya entered a state of detachment, but unconsciously, her tense body relaxed, no longer filled with wariness.

"How about we find somewhere else to chat? Don't be nervous, just some everyday topics, like... what did you have for lunch?"

Roy's eyes scanned around. The moon had risen in the sky, right next to the clearing where he sweated profusely every night. The surface of the pond rippled from the night breeze. The silver veil of moonlight swayed gently, becoming hazy.

Roy noticed the girl sitting down by the pond not far to his left and breathed a sigh of relief. He had expected her to run off immediately. Having never dealt with such a sensitive girl, he worried about touching a raw nerve.

But at least the first step had been taken successfully.

The girl was clearly extremely uncomfortable in this situation, her head lowered, her fingers twisting together nervously. She didn't dare to glance at the boy beside her, nor at her own reflection in the pond, as if it were some monstrous apparition.

"Toya, relax... How about this, have you ever seen a magic show?"

"No... What does magic mean?" the girl asked very cautiously.

"It's similar to a trick. You know tricks, right? I'll perform one for you right now, watch carefully!" Roy's slightly commanding tone startled the girl, and she instinctively looked over.

"Don't blink..."

Roy extended his right hand, showing its empty back and palm to her. Then he began to turn his wrist, once, twice, three times...

Toya silently counted a few times, then her small mouth parted, her dark, round eyes widening. A delicate playing card suddenly appeared in Roy's previously empty palm. The card depicted a woman with red hair and a red dress, as alluring and beautiful as a flame, exuding a mysterious aura.

Roy continued to turn his right hand, holding the card. After a few turns, the card vanished without a trace.

"Roy... How did you do that?" The girl's attention was completely captivated. It was a very clumsy trick, but she had never left Edersberg since birth, nor had she ever had the chance to witness any tricks. "Where did you hide the card?"

"If I explain the principle, it won't work anymore. You guess where I hid the card?" Hearing this, Toya actually propped her chin on her hand, letting her long brown hair droop into the pond's water. She began to think seriously.

In that moment, she forgot her inferiority complex and unease.

But Roy suddenly strode over to a distance of one foot (0.3 meters) from her, interrupting her thoughts.

The girl froze. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead and pale cheeks, her heart pounding like a drum. But it wasn't from shyness or any other reason; it was pure nervousness and fear.

Years of abuse had made her believe that anyone who came close would torment her, either by beating or by cursing.

"Sorry... I scared you." Roy's eyes held apology. He spread his hands and took two steps back until the girl's breathing returned to normal, and she "came back to life."

"I just wanted to walk over and find the card."

He pointed to the girl's white apron.

"Toya, believe it or not, that card is now lying quietly in your pocket."

The girl hesitantly reached into her pocket. Then, on the palm of her calloused and frostbitten hand, a playing card appeared – the same one Roy had produced.

Regrettably, she was illiterate and couldn't recognize the woman's name. But looking at the lifelike woman on the card... her graceful figure and beautiful appearance, she was mesmerized, her eyes showing a hint of envy and longing.

"Isn't it interesting?" Roy said. "This card is for you."

"Why?" Toya asked, puzzled. The herbs and food he had given her these past few days had already overwhelmed her. "I can't accept it, it's too valuable."

"It's just an ordinary Gwent card," Roy said truthfully. "Most tavern keepers have them for sale. If you feel bad about it, just bring me some more fruit tomorrow."

Toya clutched the card, her face full of reluctance. After a long while, "Then... alright," she carefully put the card into her pocket. "Who is the woman drawn on the card?"

"Sabina Glevissig, a sorceress in Ard Carraigh, the capital of Kaedwen."

"A sorceress?"

"Believe me, you'll understand what that means later. Now, let's talk about something else," Roy sat down beside her. This time, the girl didn't show the same strong repulsion. Perhaps to relax, she gently swayed her feet, just like Roy.

Inside the "moon boat" on the water, there were two more passengers.

"What kind of work do you usually do at the mill?"

"Besides what you said, I also have to feed the pigs, clean the house, and weed the crops..."

"Sigh, you're so young, you shouldn't have to bear so much..." In reality, girls around ten years old were either married or had to help with farm work at home, but they didn't suffer as much as she did.

"Do you have any hobbies? Drawing, singing, dancing, Gwent?"

"I don't play Gwent. Maybe... singing? But I don't dare. Una would scold me, saying my singing is as unpleasant as a rooster crowing, and others would laugh at me."

"Don't listen to them, your voice is perfect for singing..." Roy praised her sincerely. "If you went to another big city, you might even become an opera singer. It's too late now, but when there's a chance, will I have the honor of hearing your singing voice?"

The two talked about their daily lives. Most of the time, he was the one telling stories and asking questions, while Toya listened quietly, occasionally interjecting with short, slow answers. Yet, Roy still managed to glean some useful information from them.

Her hunchback wasn't congenital; it appeared eight years ago as a mild symptom that gradually worsened each year. Her mother worried herself to death and passed away five years ago. Then, that cruel, fat woman, her stepmother Una, arrived.

Toya's life plunged into endless physical labor, and her father gradually distanced himself from her.

Roy sensed fear, helplessness, and confusion in her replies.

Toya, on the other hand, could feel that his eyes held none of her father's disappointment, her stepmother's hatred, or the discrimination and contempt from the children and surrounding residents. Instead, they were filled with patience and understanding.

She felt a long-forgotten word... respect.

Since her mother's death, Toya had felt the urge to confide in someone for the first time. But not today. The moon had risen higher, and an hour had quietly slipped away.

"Roy, do you really... want to be friends with me?" She patted her skirt and stood up. The bright moonlight, so close, made the bulge on her back and her uneven shoulders even more apparent.

"You're mistaken," Roy chuckled heartily. "We're already friends."

"Can I talk to you again tomorrow?"

"Of course. As long as I'm back at the mill, you're always welcome to come find me."

The girl let out a long sigh of relief and limped towards the dilapidated warehouse.

Roy watched her retreating figure.

Toya Gender: Female Age: 13 years and 10 months Status: Commoner Health: 30↓ (Mana Erosion) Mana: 120↑ (Mana Erosion) Strength: 3 Agility: 4 Constitution: 3↓ Perception: 6 Willpower: 6 Charisma: 4 Spirit: 12↑ Skills: Source (Passive Solidification): Self-awakened, sensitive to Chaos Energy as mana. Favored by the elements of earth, fire, water, and air, her body spontaneously absorbs mana at all times. After professional and systematic training, she can manipulate mana, cast spells, and accomplish challenges that are difficult for ordinary people.

Roy remembered a passage from when Letho taught him Meditation: When sensitives awaken, if they are not sent to a sorcerer's academy in time for training and to tame the elemental forces, they will go mad and lose their sanity due to uncontrolled mana. Or they might meet an even more tragic fate, their bodies twisted into grotesque deformities by the mana.

Clearly, the miller's daughter, Toya, was one such unfortunate soul. Heaven had gifted her a one-in-a-million magical talent but had not taught her how to control this power. The deformities in her body were undoubtedly caused by the uncontrolled mana rampaging within her. If left unchecked, her lifespan would be much shorter than that of an ordinary person.

Roy's initial motivation was indeed sympathy, but now he had some other ideas. He couldn't become a sorcerer, but that didn't stop him from befriending a future sorceress; it could be considered a long-term investment.

If he didn't befriend a few spellcaster friends, what right would he have to call himself a Witcher?

However, the situation was complicated, and he needed to plan carefully, step by step.