Melitele Goddess

In the afternoon, He Shenyan sat on a bench in a plaza and opened his book.

"The faith in the goddess Temple of Melitele is one of the oldest, and at the time, one of the most widespread. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient eras before human civilization. Almost every race that existed before humanity, as well as primitive nomadic human tribes, worshipped such a goddess. This faith stemmed from humanity's primal connection to fertility, love, agriculture, the hearth, and pregnancy, manifesting in various female forms. They presided over birth and reproduction, watched over farmers and gardeners, and bestowed blessings upon lovers and couples. These disparate beliefs slowly converged and blended, eventually merging into a single entity: the Mother of All, Temple of Melitele."

"Caring for the world like a mother, people pray to Temple of Melitele to seek protection for their children. Her priestesses preach love and peace to the world, practicing their goals through the many hospitals, shelters, and orphanages they maintain across the globe. The most important center of the faith is undoubtedly Aedirn, home to the world-renowned Temple of Melitele."

"Handmaidens of Temple of Melitele typically enter the temple at fourteen to study arithmetic, history, herbalism, medicine, and biology. Afterward, they choose whether to become priestesses. Not all priestesses remain within the temple; many young handmaidens choose to wander, helping women and children in various villages."

"The Temple of Melitele is a sanctuary for all who suffer. In this place, even if you are penniless, you can enjoy a peace undisturbed by the secular world. The priestesses' herbs not only heal your body, but their aid also calms your inner suffering and mends the wounds of your soul."

He Shenyan could tell that the author of this book had tried his best to describe the faith of Temple of Melitele with an objective tone, yet he still couldn't avoid being influenced. In the final paragraph of the book, he drew the conclusion that effectively defined the faith as the patron deity of the poor and women.

He also noted a very interesting description: no local lord would ever conflict with the followers of Temple of Melitele unless he wanted to make an enemy of every woman in the region—including his own wife. Because every woman, without exception, paid homage to Temple of Melitele.

Closing the book and setting it aside, he began to ponder what he should do next. His comment about "studying" Geralt had been a small joke, but he hadn't gauged the humor well, causing the witcher to be annoyed for a while. Fortunately, the power of money was indeed immense. He had merely wanted to observe how much stronger witchers were compared to ordinary humans.

As for the silver-haired elven girl, he hadn't bothered with her at all. He simply kept her in his Magic Backpack, feeding her magic at set intervals. At her current rate of growth, it might take centuries for her to fully awaken. Until then, He Shenyan just treated her like a life-sized figurine.

Of course, the kind you couldn't touch.

In all honesty, traversing worlds wasn't what he wanted; who wouldn't want to just go home? But the more he learned about the knowledge of inter-dimensional travel, the more he understood the difficulty of achieving it. Before that, it seemed he could only drift along like this, bit by bit.

To remain a stranger forever?

The black-robed mage squinted at the fountain in front of him, his thoughts unreadable.

On the other side, Geralt was having the time of his life.

After parting ways with He Shenyan at the agreed time, he had rushed to the bank to exchange his money without a moment's delay. With a large bag of coin, he first ran to the blacksmith to have his swords fully restored—"Use the best materials." His tone at the time sounded as if he had five million crowns in his pocket. Afterward, instead of choosing a street barber as he usually did, he went to a high-end barbershop in the upper city to enjoy a full service of haircutting, shaving, and a facial.

The barber's technique was truly excellent. Touching his clean-shaven face, he experienced the feeling of being wealthy for the first time.

Then came the main event.

If you had visited Love and Flowers in Novigrad that noon, you would have seen a witcher reveling in the main hall, arms wrapped around three different beauties, living with complete abandon.

Six o'clock that evening. The reluctant witcher struggled to pull himself away from the comforts of Love and Flowers. He bid farewell to the beauties blowing him kisses, stepping out with a rare, unmasked smile, his neck and face covered in lipstick marks. He had even changed his clothes; inside, he hadn't just enjoyed a full bath and massage, but had also bought a new outfit. Although Geralt wasn't used to tight clothing, the loose, comfortable robe he wore was quite nice.

A pity I can't wear this while taking contracts, he thought.

Unless I want a Drowner to pierce my stomach. Thinking of that scene, Geralt actually felt a wave of amusement.

"You look very happy," He Shenyan's voice sounded abruptly behind him, and the witcher's back straightened instantly. He turned around in surprise: "How are you here?"

The black-robed mage calmly pointed to his own right cheek: "You'd better watch your image, my friend."

"Uh," the witcher tried to salvage his cold, professional image, saying: "I'm not usually like this."

"Of course, you usually don't have any money, either."

"Do you always talk to people like this?"

"I'm not usually like this."

"Yeah, yeah."

Geralt replied dismissively. He spread his hands and asked: "So, how did you find me?"

He Shenyan walked past him, signaling for him to follow, and said casually: "I think it's better if we don't focus on those details. Where do you plan to stay tonight?"

Geralt looked back at the oak door of Love and Flowers, carved with exquisite patterns. If he could, he would have loved to stay there.

But what he said was: "Any decent inn will do for the night."

As they strolled through the night in Novigrad, discussing tomorrow, Geralt said: "I'll take a walk tomorrow noon to see if any fresh monsters have appeared in the sewers of this free city."

"Will you take the bounty first, or kill the beast and then claim the reward?"

"After what happened in Blaviken, I think I'll take the bounty first."

"I thought as much."

The two chatted idly as they arrived outside an inn. The inn was located beside the quiet Famer Avenue and stood three stories tall. Its brown exterior looked unremarkable, with warm orange light spilling out through the windows. They pushed open the door.