The original owner of this body really had made quite a "name" for himself.
Dick walked calmly up to the sweet stall and looked at the vendor. "Two spun-sugar pastries."
"Coming right up, Master Dick."
The vendor gave a fawning smile, deftly took out two delicious pastries, and handed them to Dick.
Dick took them and placed them in the little boy's hands.
With one in each hand, the boy happily sucked and licked one of the pastries.
"Take care, sir," the vendor said with a bow and a smile.
"But I haven't paid yet?"
The nearby vendors looked surprised when they heard this.
After all, Dick had never paid in the past. If anyone tried to reason with him about it, he would reason with them using his fists instead.
As a witcher, he possessed extraordinary physical abilities;
and in this world teeming with monsters, witchers held a far higher status than merchants.
This was yet another problem his predecessor had left behind.
"Your money? I couldn't take your money."
"How much?"
Seeing Dick's serious expression, the vendor ventured, "Eight copper crowns."
"All right." Dick began searching his pockets.
Xiya witnessed the entire exchange. She had thought Dick was merely toying with the vendor, but he actually meant it.
This witcher seemed different today. Had he really turned over a new leaf?
Dick searched his pockets and discovered he had brought no money.
Just as he was wondering how to explain this to the vendor, he caught sight of the girl beside him out of the corner of his eye.
"Xiya, I didn't bring any money. Pay for me first, and I'll pay you back another day."
The girl curled her lip slightly.
This witcher still loved taking petty advantage of others.
Still, she took out a handful of copper coins and handed them to the vendor, who checked the witcher's expression.
Only after finding him expressionless, seemingly not playing a trick on him, did the vendor nervously accept them.
Dick nodded goodbye, ignoring the vendor's grateful expression, and soon arrived at the entrance to a small apothecary.
An old man was pacing anxiously outside.
Dick gently set the little boy down, and the boy ran happily toward the old man.
"Grandpa, I'm back!"
"Where did you run off to?" The old man laughed joyfully, then put on a stern face as he questioned him.
"Dick took me to buy something tasty, and we even killed a monster together!" the little boy explained with a cheerful smile.
Only then did the old man notice the two behind him.
"Master Dick, Miss Xiya." His tone was exceedingly respectful.
"Yes. If there's nothing else, I'll head back," Dick said with a nod.
"Take care, sir."
"Dick, take me along to eat pastries while we kill monsters again next time." The little boy's face was full of anticipation.
"Next time... we'll see."
Dick had already noticed the old man's wary, nervous expression and did not want to cause any more trouble.
After leaving the market, he followed his memories toward his residence. But after only a few steps, Dick turned around. "Say, why are you still following me, Miss Xiya?"
"Dick, I just wanted to inform you that Drowners have been running rampant along the riverbank west of town lately. As a witcher, you ought to ensure the people's safety. Besides..."
Xiya was about to persuade Dick to do something, but he interrupted her.
"Wonderful. Are there many Drowners?" The corners of Dick's mouth lifted.
Just what I needed. What I lacked most right now were monsters like Drowners, practically the lowest-level creatures in [The Witcher].
They lived near water, had blue-green skin and skeletal bodies, often hid in the mud, and mostly lived in groups.
Moreover, their low intelligence made them worthy of being called a "beginner's best friend." With proper preparation, wouldn't heaps of rewards be his for the taking?
"You... you agreed?" Xiya looked astonished.
This witcher had actually begun considering the people's safety. Had he really changed?
"Indeed. Relieving the people's troubles is our duty."
After that sonorous declaration, Dick added,
"However, I can't work for free. Those people living by the river should provide appropriate payment for this witcher contract."
Dick had his reasons for saying this.
In the game, completing a witcher contract granted additional Energy Points based on the difficulty of the quest.
At present, Energy Points were truly important to a witcher who would have to face a crisis in half a month.
"I knew it. You're still after money. You don't genuinely care about the people at all."
Xiya bit her lip. "But those townspeople are willing to pay twenty crowns. Once you've wiped out the Drowners there, you can collect it from the sheriff."
"Thank you, then. Do you... need anything else? I'm a little tired and need to rest."
"You... tomorrow, I'm going with you." With that, Xiya turned and left.
Was she keeping an eye on me?
Afraid I'd do something else out of line?
Dick did not mind. He pushed open the courtyard gate and entered the house.
The house was not large, but it had three rooms:
a bedroom, a sitting room, and a study.
He went straight into the study and, sure enough, found a book on the desk. More precisely, it was a notebook about the size of two palms.
Witcher notes.
When the original owner had come here, a senior brother from his school had given him this notebook. It recorded basic information on the monsters that senior brother had encountered over the years, along with his insights into combat techniques.
This slim notebook carried that senior brother's fraternal affection for the original owner.
He had certainly looked favorably upon this junior brother, but...
The original owner had never opened it.
You couldn't plaster a wall with mud.
After another inward jab, Dick opened the notebook and began searching through it.
There was not much inside. Soon, he found the knowledge he needed most right now-bow and crossbow shooting techniques.
Dick read carefully. Only after an unknown amount of time did he close the notebook in satisfaction.
A new skill had appeared under the combat category on his panel-Bow and Crossbow Shooting (beginner).
He also now knew various ways to use bows and crossbows.
A glance at the hourglass beside the desk revealed that it was already past midnight. He yawned and went to the bedroom, where he spotted a bronze mirror by the wall. He walked over and examined himself closely.
The person in the mirror had fiery red hair, handsome features, and a tall, straight figure.
"What a waste of good looks."
When he tried to open the notebook and continue studying, a sharp pain suddenly struck his head. His brain probably could not adjust after the original owner had spent years without seriously reading.
Abandoning his plan to learn everything in one go, the mentally exhausted Dick lay down and fell asleep.
Early the next morning, Dick put on his sleeveless light armor. This was a full suit unique to the School of the Lynx, painstakingly crafted from Forktail leather to provide decent protection while preserving the wearer's agility.
Then he took the slightly dusty School of the Lynx short crossbow from the weapon rack. Its bolts were thin and short, making it slightly less powerful than a standard crossbow, but it could load two at once.
Finally, he took a medallion strung on a hemp cord from the wardrobe and hung it around his neck, snug against his inner shirt.
The medallion was round and dark red, bearing the image of a cat's head-it was a witcher medallion.
It would vibrate violently when a monster possessing magic came within a certain range, serving as an early warning.
Only after finishing these preparations did he head out to go straight to the market.
After all, he needed to fill his stomach before getting to work.
As soon as he opened the door, he spotted the food in the hands of the girl before him and smiled politely.
"Good morning, Miss Xiya. Is that food for me?"
Xiya had actually arrived early and brought some food. She was truly worried that Dick would go to the market and dine and dash again.
Although this witcher had a poor reputation, the vendors only knew that the two of them were together, so her reputation suffered by association.
"Here. Hurry up and eat. We're heading to the riverbank right away."