That afternoon, He Shenyan sat on a bench in a plaza and opened the book.
"Faith in the Goddess Melitele was one of the oldest beliefs, and at the time, one of the most widespread. Its origins could be traced back to ancient times before human civilization. Nearly every race that existed before humanity, as well as primitive nomadic human peoples, worshipped such a goddess. This stemmed from humanity's primal beliefs in fertility, love, plowing, the hearth at home, and pregnant women, beliefs that took the form of various female figures. They governed fertility and reproduction, watched over farmers and gardeners, and blessed lovers and married couples. These different faiths gradually converged and blended together until all these deities became one: the mother of all, Melitele."
"Caring for the world as a mother would, people worship Melitele and seek her protection for their children. Her priestesses spread love and peace throughout the world. They maintained countless hospitals, shelters, and orphanages across many lands, putting their ideals into practice. The most important center of Melitele's faith was undoubtedly Aedirn, where the world-famous Temple of Melitele stood."
"Melitele's handmaidens generally entered the temple at fourteen to study arithmetic, history, herbalism, medicine, and biology. They would then choose whether to become temple priestesses. Not all priestesses remained within the temple; many young handmaidens chose to wander from village to village, helping women and children."
"The Temple of Melitele was a refuge for all suffering people. There, even if you possessed nothing, you could still enjoy peace untouched by worldly troubles. The priestesses' herbs could heal not only your body; their aid could also soothe the suffering in your heart and mend the wounds of your soul."
He Shenyan could tell that the book's author had tried very hard to describe the Church of Melitele in an objective tone, but the author had still been unable to avoid being influenced by it. In the book's final passage, the author had defined the Church of Melitele as the guardian deity of the poor and of women.
He had also seen a particularly interesting description: no local lord would ever clash with followers of Melitele unless he wished to make enemies of every woman in the area—even his own wife. After all, every woman worshipped Melitele.
He closed the book and set it aside. Then he began considering what he ought to do next. Saying that he wanted to "study" Geralt that day had only been a small joke, but he had failed to judge its limits and angered the Witcher for a while. Fortunately, money truly possessed tremendous power. He had merely wanted to observe how much stronger Witchers were than ordinary humans.
As for the silver-haired Elf girl, he had not bothered with her at all. He had simply thrown her into his Magic Backpack and fed her Magic Power at regular intervals. At her current rate of growth, it might take several centuries for her to awaken completely. Until then, He Shenyan only needed to treat her as an oversized collectible figure.
Of course, the kind one could not touch.
To be fair, traveling between worlds was not what he wanted. Who would not want to return home directly? But the more he learned about world travel, the more clearly he understood how difficult it would be. Until then, it seemed he could only keep drifting along bit by bit.
Would I always be a stranger in a foreign land?
The Black-Robed Mage narrowed his eyes at the fountain before him, lost in thoughts unknown.
Meanwhile, Geralt was having the time of his life.
After parting ways with He Shenyan at their agreed time, he immediately rushed to the bank to exchange money. Carrying a large bag of cash, he first ran to a blacksmith's shop and had the owner fully repair all his swords. "Use the finest materials." His tone then had made it sound as if he had five million Crowns in his pocket. After that, rather than having some street vendor cut his hair as usual, he went to an upscale barbershop in the Upper City and thoroughly enjoyed a haircut, shave, and face wash.
That barber's skill was truly excellent. As Geralt touched his clean face, he experienced what it felt like to have money for the first time.
Then came the main event.
If you had visited Love and Flowers in Novigrad at noon that day, you would have seen a Witcher sitting in the main hall, partying without restraint. He had three beautiful women of completely different types in his arms and was indulging himself freely.
At six that evening, the reluctant Witcher finally tore himself away from the tender embrace of Love and Flowers. He bid farewell to the beauties blowing him kisses and stepped outside with an unusually undisguised smile, several lipstick marks scattered across his neck and face. He had even changed clothes. Inside, he had not only received a full bath and massage, but also changed into a new outfit. Geralt was unaccustomed to tight-fitting clothing, but the loose, comfortable robe he wore now was truly excellent.
Too bad I can't wear it while taking contracts, he thought.
Unless I want a Drowner to pierce my stomach. At the thought of that scene, Geralt actually felt a surge of amusement.
"You look very happy." He Shenyan's voice suddenly sounded behind him, and the Witcher's back immediately snapped straight. He turned around in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
The Black-Robed Mage calmly pointed at his own right cheek. "You should pay more attention to your appearance, my friend."
"Uh..." The Witcher tried to salvage his cool image. "I'm not usually like this."
"Of course. You usually don't have money."
"Is this how you usually talk to people?"
"I'm not usually like this."
"Yeah, yeah."
Geralt replied perfunctorily. He spread his hands and asked, "So, how did you find this place?"
He Shenyan walked past him and gestured for him to follow. Casually, he said, "I think we should avoid dwelling on such details. Where are you planning to stay tonight?"
Geralt turned back to glance at the exquisitely carved oak doors of Love and Flowers. If he could, he truly wanted to stay there.
But what he said was, "Any halfway decent inn will do for one night."
They strolled through Novigrad at night while discussing the next day. Geralt said, "Tomorrow at noon, I'll take a look around and see whether any new Monsters have appeared in the sewers of this free city."
"Do you take the bounty first, or kill it first and claim the reward afterward?"
"After what happened in Blaviken, I think I'd better take the bounty first."
"So do I."
Chatting idly, the two arrived outside an inn. It stood beside the quiet Famer Avenue and had three floors. Its brown exterior looked rather unremarkable, while warm orange light shone through its windows. They pushed open the door.
Before you continue