The Noble Son of the Blazing Rose

The foundation of sword dancing was to use feints to draw the enemy's attacks into empty space, then turn the body and strike with the aid of centrifugal force.

Drowners attacked in a very simple manner: a swipe with the left claw, a swipe with the right claw, or a small leap followed by a two-handed pounce. Those were their only three moves. On land, they could not even burrow underground for surprise attacks like Nekkers.

So when the battlefield was not somewhere that made evasion impossible, and they did not possess overwhelming numbers, the pack of Drowners collapsed with lightning speed. They had arrived full of high spirits, but fled with their heads down in panic.

The entire fight, from their spirited howls to their shrieks as they scattered, ended in just a few minutes. It had been so easy that the traps they had prepared beforehand never even came into use.

They chased them to the riverbank and silently watched the monsters dive away. That was as far as they could go today. Chasing Drowners underwater and fighting them there would have been idiotic.

Besides, "They won't be coming back. After this purge, the Drowners will move away from this area and find another stretch of water near a human settlement to make their home." Unexpectedly, it was the knight who spoke. Victor knew he was right.

Flicking the slime from his silver sword, the youth sheathed it and turned to face the knight. His right hand pressed to his chest. "Victor and Angoulême salute you, brave knight. Thank you for your selfless assistance."

"Siegfried of Denso, Order of the Flaming Rose." He glanced around at the many Drowner corpses, sheathed his sword, and returned the salute. His tone was gentle. "It hardly counts as assistance. If anything, I interrupted your work, witchers."

Turning to Angoulême and nodding in greeting, he continued, "Please forgive my interference. Female witchers are quite rare, and under those circumstances, a knight had to fulfill his duty to protect women and children and eradicate monsters."

He wore no helmet, revealing short golden hair. Clear-cut features framed emerald-green eyes, and beneath his knightly armor was a tall, lean, sturdy build.

"No, we're just an ordinary mercenary company." Victor promptly corrected the knight.

Having made enemies out of thin air when he first displayed the witcher's trade in Ellander, the youth only intended to operate under the identity of a mercenary during this trip to Vizima.

"Don't misunderstand. I have no prejudice against witchers. We walk the same path when it comes to eliminating monsters." As if seeing through Victor's concerns, Siegfried pointed to the small pot beside the campfire containing leftover sword oil. "A professional's choice. My father once worked alongside witchers."

"Indeed, we aren't. We're simply mercenaries." As he spoke, the youth shifted slightly so that the light fell across his face.

Seeing Victor's unmutated pupils clearly, Siegfried showed obvious disappointment. "What a pity. We have quite a few jobs that could be entrusted to witchers."

Without responding, the youth smiled and pointed at the Drowner corpses on the ground. "Sir Knight, did you come here to do something at this hour? We were hired by an alchemist to gather these materials. You don't mind if we get to work, do you?"

Siegfried shook his head, his eyes fixed on the Drowner remains. "My purpose in coming here has already been fulfilled. Go ahead with your work."

He turned to leave, but after only a few steps, he looked back. "As mercenaries, your skills are quite refined. Would you be interested in taking on other commissions to hunt monsters?"

Victor replied with a smile, "We visit the notice board in the center of the Temple District every day."

Having received his answer, Knight Siegfried nodded. This time, he truly left.

Once they had confirmed the knight was far away, Angoulême, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, came over to help the youth collect materials. Even with several Drowners having escaped, the two of them would still be busy for quite some time with those left behind.

On their heavily laden way home, Angoulême reunited with Catherine, who had been free to roam that afternoon. Girl and eagle played together for quite a while before Angoulême released her into the night sky.

Then, "Captain, I could do this," she suddenly said.

"Huh?" The abrupt, contextless remark left Victor completely baffled. "What could you do?"

Angoulême tilted her head, her expression serious. "That thing you mentioned last time. About whether I'd want to find someone to sleep with! If he joined our company... that Knight Siegfried from just now, I think I could do him."

Finally understanding what Angoulême meant, the youth recalled Siegfried's appearance: blond hair, green eyes, a strong build. He truly was a dashing and impressive man.

Unfortunately, "Don't even think about it. Did you see the emblem on his shoulder? He's a Church knight. Bound by tradition and monastic rules, he has already sworn himself to the Eternal Fire. He is meant to remain unmarried for life."

Angoulême replied unconcernedly, "I wasn't planning to marry him. I just wanted to use him once in a while. Is that not allowed either?"

"Of course not!" Victor rejected the idea without hesitation. Recruiting someone only to make him break his vows, just so she could use him once in a while—what kind of punchable worldview was that?

Thinking of this, the youth said darkly, "It seems you need to gain a little more understanding of religious vows, cultural morals, and such..."

"No—then I don't want him. I was just mentioning it to you, Captain. If we're recruiting new members, that man's looks meet my minimum standards."

The moment learning was mentioned, the girl immediately backed down.

Having crushed his subordinate's unrealistic fantasies of lusting after someone else with an iron fist, Victor thought to himself, Still, if Siegfried counts as her minimum standard, her taste isn't too bad. At least she won't suddenly bring home some ugly freak one day and scare me. Such were the thoughts of old father Victor.

After returning home, "Eh! What's this?" Angoulême picked up a note from the floor by the window. She glanced at the signature and handed it straight to Victor.

He looked at the signature first as well, only to discover in surprise that Shani had slipped it through the window crack.

Thinking back, several days had passed since their last meeting outside the hospital. Victor's days had been full and busy, so he could fully understand that the doctor must have been just as occupied.

The note carried a faint rose fragrance. The handwriting was as neat and elegant as its owner, making it pleasing to read.

"Victor... my friend, I unexpectedly had some free time this afternoon. Although you mentioned that no one would be home at this time, I thought I'd come visit while taking a walk. Unfortunately, you weren't in.

Shani"

After reading the note, Victor smiled. The moment he raised his head, he saw Angoulême staring at him. Her sly brown eyes practically spoke, and her eagerness to hear gossip was unmistakable.

He handed the note to the girl, signaling for her to read it herself. "No need to make that face. It's Doctor Shani, the one I mentioned to you last time."

Then, ignoring Angoulême, Victor went down to the basement to sort through today's haul. With fresh Drowner brains now in hand, tomorrow morning's plan was to deliver them to Kalkstein. And since he had finished the previous book, it was time to borrow the next one.