Ban Ard, Don't Cry For Me

After giving Victor's remarks some thought, Lambert had to admit that Sabrina was indeed an exceptionally formidable sorceress. Ordinary witchers had to be polite even when dealing with local barons, while she could stand against kings.

"But," he spotted the blind spot. "Even if kings have become distrustful of mages, what does that have to do with us?"

Uh... Victor was stumped by the question... He realized it would be difficult to explain to Lambert just how intricate these chain reactions were. In truth, if he had not seen the script of what came later, he would not have thought it was such a big deal either.

Who would believe this was a sign of the grand, continent-wide witch hunts to come? Before the authority of mages had completely collapsed, no one would believe his foreknowledge even if he spoke of it.

"Fine... forget what I just said. Let me put it another way. In short, to improve the Trial of the Grasses, I investigated renowned alchemists in the big market and found that there's a master alchemist in Vizima named Kalkstein worth paying attention to... He may be able to give me some ideas."

Lambert waved a hand, signaling him to continue his performance. He wanted to see what else Victor could come up with and how good his explanations really were.

"I have a unique secret process for rapidly producing potions, so the wealth accumulated from selling them can save us more time in the future. As for researching amulets, that concerns my study of mages' enchantment methods. That's all!"

Having finished, the boy waved his hand just as Lambert had, signaling that his explanation was over. You fool, you simply have no idea how farsighted and deeply calculating Master Victor is.

"Fine. It seems you are still making an effort in the right direction. I don't understand any of this improving the Trial of the Grasses business anyway. That's an agreement between you and Vesemir. You two are always acting all mysterious.

So, is there anything I can help you with? Or are you planning to stay here for a while? I'm getting ready to leave..." the witcher said.

"Your money's almost run out, hasn't it? Ban Ard isn't a cheap place to live!" The boy cleanly exposed the truth. If witchers never changed their approach to money, they would always be broke.

"Hey! Show proper respect when speaking to your master, apprentice." Lambert was immensely pleased with himself, as though he had found Victor's weakness. Since Victor intended to become a witcher, that apparently made Lambert his master.

Victor had anticipated this and remained perfectly calm. "I'm Vesemir's apprentice. That makes us peers. At most, I'll call you senior. You should be buying meals for your junior, you know."

"Tch! I'll treat you to a grand feast—the exquisite taste of a steel sword! You can savor it with your whole body." The witcher provocatively unfastened his steel sword and laid it across his lap.

"Uh... anyway, I'm planning to head to Vizima. Would you be willing to travel with me?" Victor decisively changed the subject. This old bastard really would take revenge while they were practicing swordsmanship. He could not provoke him any further.

Turning to serious matters, Lambert put away his flippancy as well. "If you're heading to Temeria's capital, traveling by water is fastest. First go south to Vergen and board a ship... then follow the Pontar River downstream, pass Floating Harbor to La Valette Castle, then turn into the Ismena River and you'll reach lakeside 'Vizima' directly."

Without any thought or hesitation, Victor said, "We leave tomorrow."

"Are you really not considering staying? What we're doing now is righteous, and business is booming!" At Ban Ard's city gate, Brass had come especially to bid them farewell—to bid farewell to his virility potion business, which had died an untimely death—and to make one final attempt to keep Victor.

He was nearly in tears. He had not yet gotten used to the good life, and it was ending after only ten days... It was not enough to make him cry, of course. But even though they had not known each other long, their friendship, founded on mutual profit, remained unbreakably strong.

Although the mage Doregarray had put on a very friendly act, Lambert still had no favorable impression of mages as a group, much less this mercenary-looking mage before him. The deep lines around Brass's mouth made him look more like a crooked merchant.

So he urged his horse a few steps ahead, unwilling to take part in Victor and Brass's farewell.

"Esteemed Mr. Brass, forgive me for being unable to stay. I have reasons that compel me to make this journey. Though our time together was short, it was pleasant, and I thank you for all your help during this time." The boy spoke with courteous formalities.

Brass gave a slight bow. "Very well! But regardless, whenever you return to Ban Ard, Raffard's Decoctions will welcome your visit."

Victor left Ban Ard just like that, but he had not let Brass's farewell come to nothing. Sixty bottles of erection stimulants, sold in limited quantities, were enough to let Brass enjoy another ten days of good living. The price was merely a bag of coins and an exchange of horses.

Yes, Faithful was given to Brass in exchange for Brass's mare. The decision had been sudden, but Victor had made it decisively, all because of an offhand remark Lambert made before they set out.

"Faithful is pretty good. Not fast, but you look very steady and comfortable riding him..."

Victor suddenly realized that his old prank had come back to strike him in a subtle way. The boy immediately decided to give Faithful to Brass in exchange for his horse. For that, Victor would rather take one less bag of coins...

Geographically speaking, the Lormark Mountains formed a natural barrier between Kaedwen and the great southern nation of Aedirn. Thus, when King Henselt set his sights on Upper Aedirn, Vergen—the mountain city built at the pass—became an unavoidable obstacle.

If Vergen fell, Upper Aedirn would be lost. Its strategic importance was roughly comparable to Jianmen Pass of Shu Han, Thermopylae of Sparta, or Shanhai Pass of the Great Ming.

Thus, the Second Upper Aedirn War, which had ended only last year, was also called the Battle for Vergen.

This winding military road began at Ard Carraigh and ran all the way to the banks of the Pontar River, facing Vergen across the water. It had been built specifically for the passage of large armies.

A few days after leaving Ban Ard, as their horses trotted along the military road, Lambert casually asked, "Why did you suddenly want to change horses? I thought Faithful would stay with you forever. Usually, if you give one a name, it means you're attached to it, doesn't it?"

"He was old... I believe spending his final years peacefully in a settled town was what he wanted too." Victor turned his head and replied naturally. Several days later, even he himself believed that explanation.

"What about this horse, then? Are you going to keep calling her Faithful? Like Geralt, who calls every horse Roach."

"No, she's a girl, so she can't be called Faithful. I won't name her for now. Once you name a means of transport, you become attached to it.

By the way, do you know what effects the Second Upper Aedirn War truly had?" As the cool evening breeze drifted past, Victor suddenly felt like showing off a little.

"What effects?"

"The first is this military road beneath our feet. After the truce, it became a blessing for traveling merchants and indirectly promoted the prosperity of the international commodity economy."

Lambert thought about it. "That makes sense."

"The second is the breakdown of order. During the war, Henselt's glorious knights and brave soldiers ravaged the land north of the Pontar River until not a blade of grass remained.

Do you know what those two factors combined represent?"

Victor's question was not meant to receive an answer. It was merely rhetorical, a common trick for showing off.

Unexpectedly, Lambert answered crisply and without doubt, "A public safety problem, with bandits rising everywhere!"

Victor was stunned for a moment. He had thought he was the only one who could deduce it. He had not expected Lambert, who seemed so rough and careless, to reach the same conclusion.

"You... how did you know?" The boy stared curiously at Lambert's face. This old bastard was making him see him in a new light today.

The witcher looked at Victor with a king's contempt and pointed ahead. "Because I can see it, idiot. Look over there!"

Not far away, a carriage had been overturned. Three... no... four armed bandits surrounded it, their vicious faces faintly visible.