[Relicts], a category of monsters in the game, referred to a mixed assortment of monsters.
After slaying the witch, Dick let out a soft breath. Though it was his first time "killing someone," he felt remarkably calm inside, even somewhat exhilarated:
Perhaps I really was suited to being a witcher.
But things were not over yet:
This Broom Witch was not alone. There were three of them, and they had agreed to meet him every half month to "collect the medicine."
Fortunately, they did not live together and would not visit one another unless they had research results. Dick had confirmed this through their past conversations.
But in half a month, the other two witches would come looking for him, and the fact that he had killed this witch would still come to light.
It seemed he now had only two choices:
Either kill weaker monsters over the next half month to improve his abilities and face the crisis;
Or flee as soon as possible and vanish without a trace.
But where could I run?
These cat eyes were the mark of a witcher. Wouldn't I be discovered wherever I went?
Without dwelling on it, Dick closed the panel with a thought, sheathed his silver sword, and walked over to search the headless corpse, only to find nothing at all.
It seemed this Broom Witch had never intended to pay. She had planned to double-cross him.
He walked over to the little boy. "You weren't scared, were you?"
The little boy held back the tears in his eyes and shook his head.
"This monster..." Dick pointed at the headless corpse, trying to explain, but suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
After all, however despicable he might be, he could not bring himself to deceive a young child again.
"Dick, thank you for saving me! If you hadn't been there, that monster would've eaten me!" the little boy said before Dick could speak.
He wiped away his tears. His body trembled uncontrollably, yet he still tilted his little face up, looking at Dick with shining eyes full of admiration.
Dick gave a helpless smile:
What a mess. At least it hadn't turned into a terrible mistake.
He gently stroked the child's little head, then scooped him up, ready to retrace his steps.
He had barely taken a few steps when a warning came from ahead. "Put that boy down!"
The voice was gentle and pleasant. Dick looked toward the newcomer:
Her brown eyes were clear and bright, and her dark brown hair fell over her shoulders;
A tasteful dark dress gave her an elegant, easygoing air.
But her tightly knitted brows and the fist-sized fireball hovering over her left hand made it clear she had not come with friendly intentions.
At the sight of her, Dick recalled who she was:
Xiya-a sorcerer's apprentice from the Magic Academy. Like him, a newly trained witcher, she had been assigned to a posting in Odinburg.
The two were partners, but they did not get along.
The reason was simple: his predecessor had truly been scum. After arriving here, he might not have committed every evil imaginable, but he had neglected his duties and enjoyed bullying the common people, naturally earning Xiya's disgust.
And she had appeared here at this very moment. Could it be...?
"Xiya, were you following me?" Dick asked tentatively.
"Dick, don't think I don't know what you're planning. Were you trying to abduct that little boy? Remember, you're a witcher. Protecting humanity should be your duty!" Xiya scolded.
Dick smiled faintly. "My lady, who said I abducted this little boy?"
Exactly. My predecessor abducted the little boy. What did that have to do with me, Dick?
"Then why did you come here?"
"Pretty lady, Dick was going to take me to buy something tasty, but we went the wrong way," the little boy in his arms explained.
"He's lying to you. Don't be afraid. I'll rescue you right away." The sorcerer's apprentice instantly softened her tone.
"You really have the wrong idea. He even killed a monster to protect me just now!"
Xiya looked doubtfully at Dick, who stepped aside and pointed to the headless corpse behind him.
She approached warily, giving Dick a wide berth as she cautiously made her way to the monster's corpse.
"Heavens, it's actually a Broom Witch! Dick, did you really do this?"
Xiya's lips parted slightly:
Dick had always been terribly lazy. He never cared whether the common people lived or died, and he never took the initiative to clear out the nearby monsters.
And she had heard that he was the weakest in his school. How could he defeat such a powerful monster?
Today, she had seen him "abduct" a little boy at the market and followed him here. Though she had nearly lost their trail after tripping along the way, that had also caused her to miss the monster's death.
Had she really missed something?
The little boy spoke again:
"You have no idea how scary it was! That red-nosed monster suddenly charged at us. If Dick hadn't stood in front of me, it would've eaten me already!"
"Hmm..." The girl pondered briefly, considering the scene before her. She could find no holes in his account. It seemed they really had just happened upon the monster.
As for this witcher killing the monster, he must have stumbled into some dumb luck.
"Since that's what the child says, I'll believe you for now." Her tone gradually grew calmer.
With that, she extinguished the little fireball in her hand.
At the same time, she inwardly breathed a quiet sigh of relief:
In fact, as a sorcerer's apprentice, she could only sustain a trick like that little fireball for a minute. She was nearly at her limit, so the little boy's words had given her the perfect opportunity to end the spell.
"I never knew you had such a poor sense of direction. Let's head back."
Dick nodded and carried the little boy back toward town, with the girl walking shoulder to shoulder beside him.
On the way, the sorcerer's apprentice spoke first.
"Dick, there's something I need to tell you."
"Go ahead."
"I thought you'd done something bad, but it looks like it was a misunderstanding. However..." Xiya sounded somewhat hesitant.
"However what?"
"I informed my master about this through a [Magical Communicator]. They already know about it, and they plan to come assess you in a month."
Dick knew that "they" meant the Witcher Order. More precisely, it meant the [School of the Lynx Witchers].
He had already considered how difficult it would be to escape.
Now that he had attracted attention, it would be harder still.
It seemed his only remaining option was to hunt monsters and improve himself.
Though he felt rather helpless inside, his expression remained perfectly composed. "I understand. Thank you."
"What are you thanking me for?"
"Because I haven't seen my master in a long time. To be honest, I really do miss him!"
A cold edge crept into Dick's smile:
That master was even a major villain early in the game!
His predecessor had done plenty of dirty work for his master, but when the white-haired protagonist killed him, that so-called master had been right there.
Yet he had done nothing.
He must have thought I was no longer worth saving.
Xiya did not understand Dick's smile and simply took it as a sign of their deep bond as master and disciple:
It seemed she had inadvertently done a good deed, allowing master and disciple to reunite sooner.
But why hadn't this witcher said another word along the way, apart from this one conversation?
A little later, the three returned to Odinburg, a small town enclosed by stone walls, with mostly stone-and-timber houses inside.
Since it was far from the front lines, security was lax. Two soldiers stood yawning and lounging at the town entrance.
When they saw Dick and the others approach, they did not speak to them.
As soon as they passed through the gates, the little boy called out cheerfully, "Dick, snacks!"
Dick nodded and continued toward the market with the little boy in his arms.
Normally, the sorcerer's apprentice would have parted ways with the witcher at this point, but she still felt somewhat uneasy about the little boy.
After all, Dick had a terrible reputation.
And so she continued following behind them.
Dick did not stop her, walking along with an air of calm composure.
When the nearby vendors saw Dick coming, the bustling atmosphere actually fell quiet.