"I never thought that skinflint Qiaogeli would be so generous this time. I thought he might add twenty or thirty crowns, but he actually rounded it up for you-a full three hundred crowns! That's enough for a family of three to live on normally for three months!"
Red was rather excited as they headed out of the city. As a merchant, he instinctively began calculating the value of that money. "Being a witcher really is high-risk, high-reward work."
Yavi merely shook his head with a faint, wry smile. "You only see the wolf eating meat, not taking a beating. You know, this is a life of licking blood off a blade. Every hunt means staking your life. If it were you, would you want to live like me, or keep being a merchant?"
Red was immediately at a loss for words. Thinking about it carefully, that sort of life on a knife's edge really did not suit him.
As they talked, they reached the bridge at the city gate. "Mr. Red, you can see me off here. I can manage the rest of the way myself."
Just before they parted, Red took a bag from the pack on his back and handed it to Yavi. "There's some food wrapped in oilpaper in here, along with some drinks. Take it to eat on the road. There are also a hundred crowns inside. I'm not a public official like Qiaogeli, so these hundred crowns are among the few savings I can spare. I hope you won't think it's too little..."
"Mr. Red, what are you doing? Officer Qiaogeli already gave me the bounty I was owed, and thanks to your help, I even got a little extra. I'm already very grateful to you. There's no need to be so generous!"
"Mr. Yavi, please don't stand on ceremony with me. If you hadn't helped my wife and child that night, I'm afraid I'd already be suffering the pain of losing my family. No words could express my gratitude. Please accept these things and put this humble merchant's mind at ease!"
Seeing how determined Red was, Yavi stopped refusing. After accepting the bag, he took two bottles of potion from his belt pouch and handed them to Red. "These are monster-repelling potions I made myself. If you encounter any dangerous monsters, throw these straight at them and run. They'll work if you encounter another monster like the one before, too. They won't do much damage, but they can buy you time to escape..."
After exchanging a few more words with Red, Yavi mounted his pony and set off toward the Inn at the Crossroads.
Red stood at the city gate, quietly watching Yavi recede into the distance. Only when a stretch of woods hid Yavi's retreating figure did Red turn and head back into the city...
Yavi rode his pony through the woods, heading south. His destination this time was Oxenfurt. Back in Kaer Morhen, Professor C had approached Yavi and asked him to go to Oxenfurt Academy, both to help an old friend of his solve some problems and to have Yavi pursue further studies in alchemy there. Because Yavi had received nine years of compulsory education in his previous life, the most difficult academic discipline in this world was easy for him to understand.
As Yavi recalled those earlier instructions, his pony had already carried him at a leisurely pace to the border checkpoint. Looking up, he saw a long line outside the checkpoint entrance. Most were traveling merchants and their guards, though there were also some ordinary civilians.
"Hey! You! Come over here and dismount for inspection!"
Just as Yavi was looking helplessly at the lengthy queue, a guard beside him called out to him. Yavi dismounted and approached the guard.
"Who are you? Why are you leaving the country? Do you have a pass?" the guard demanded sternly, his eyes constantly roaming over Yavi as though trying to spot some clue on him.
"I have a pass. Please take a look." Yavi pulled a small booklet from inside his clothes and handed it over.
The guard offered no further response, merely taking the pass and opening it. Once he read its contents, his expression shifted from shock to disbelief, then finally to respect. He immediately gave a regulation military salute. "My lord! Please wait a moment! I'll report to the captain at once!"
After shouting this, the guard jogged into the checkpoint. His shout drew everyone's eyes to Yavi, making him somewhat uncomfortable. Fortunately, he did not have to wait long before a soldier dressed as a squad captain jogged up with the guard from earlier and likewise gave a very precise military salute.
"It's a great honor to welcome you, my lord! Please come into the outpost with us and rest!" As he spoke, the captain gestured for him to enter.
"You're far too kind, Captain. I'm merely passing through. There's no need for such a fuss. Just let me through as soon as possible." Yavi calmly indicated that he needed no such formality and was only passing through.
"Of course, my lord. Please follow me. You can pass straight through the checkpoint without queuing!" The captain promptly offered to give Yavi priority passage.
"Then sorry for the trouble, Captain." Yavi thanked the captain, mounted his pony, and followed him all the way to the checkpoint gate without a hitch. The captain also offered to arrange a cavalry squad to escort Yavi into Velen, but Yavi declined. Then, under the eyes of the captain and his guards, Yavi headed onto the bridge leading to the opposite bank.
"Captain, what do you think that young man's background is? Traveling out of the country alone, carrying a royal pass... This is the first time I've ever seen one." The guard who had inspected Yavi had grown curious about his identity.
"I can count the times I've seen a royal pass on one hand, too. Very few people have one. Usually, only people who work for the royal family or hold an extremely distinguished position can get one. Still, none of that has anything to do with us. I'll thank the heavens as long as we can send that walking calamity safely on his way without him making trouble for us..."
Yavi found the guards' conversation behind him rather amusing. Professor C had given him this royal pass before his departure, and it made traveling through the Northern Kingdoms very convenient. Though he was already far away, Yavi had kept his Witcher Senses active ever since he had been stopped, so he heard their conversation perfectly clearly. Still, it did not matter, as long as he got through the checkpoint smoothly.
He looked up at the sky. The blazing sun hung overhead, and Yavi estimated that it was around noon. His stomach felt a little empty, too. With a flick of his hand, an apple appeared out of thin air. He took a bite, then patted his pony's neck and offered it the bitten apple. The pony turned its head, took it in its mouth, chewed twice, and swallowed.
Horse affection +1 Bond with horse reached level 1. Pony sidestep function unlocked...
At dusk, Yavi reached the Inn at the Crossroads. The setting sun was blood-red, and his face, hidden in the shadow of his cloak, was full of mystery. The rickety fence gate creaked, and wind chimes rang clear and sweet beneath the porch. Yavi tethered his pony and pushed open the inn's door. The smells of aged ale and woodsmoke washed over him. Several cloaked travelers beside the fireplace stopped murmuring, their gazes sweeping over Yavi like blades. Finding nothing they could discern, they resumed their hushed conversation.
Yavi strolled up to the bar and unfastened his cloak...