Most witchers lived in poverty and never managed to save any money.
In part, it really was because life was getting harder and money was becoming harder to earn.
But on the other hand, it was also because the other witchers were all like Geralt, spending a good deal of their money on this.
Suddenly, a series of footsteps interrupted his thoughts.
He turned his head and saw a well-dressed man walking toward him.
The man had thick black hair, handsome features, and a tall, powerfully built frame.
He wore a robe made of fine fabric and decorated with embroidery.
One look was enough to tell that he had a respectable profession.
The man raised his glass to congratulate Lynn.
"That was some splendid boxing."
Lynn nodded in acknowledgment as well. "Thank you. You are...?"
"How rude of me. I'm a merchant from Kovir. My name is Istredd."
Istredd?
Lynn raised an eyebrow.
He then took a very careful look at this self-proclaimed merchant from Kovir.
The man looked much younger than the person in his memories.
But barring any surprises, he should be that very man.
Lynn simply hadn't expected to run into him here.
Lynn's gaze made Istredd instinctively touch his face. "Master witcher, is there something on my face?"
"Nothing. Please, have a seat, Master Istredd." Lynn gestured invitingly. "You can call me Lynn."
Istredd thanked him.
After sitting down opposite Lynn, he got straight to the point.
"Master Lynn, I don't like beating around the bush, so I'll be direct. I have a commission that happens to require a master witcher."
"What exactly is the commission?"
"As you can see, I'm a merchant. Since I feel the journey might not be entirely safe, I'd like to hire you to guard my caravan."
In fact, the witcher's code contained no strict rule stating that witchers could only accept monster-hunting commissions.
It was simply that, over the past several centuries, witchers had developed an unwritten rule: witchers could only make their living through bounty contracts.
After all, witchers had been created to deal with monsters.
But Lynn believed that rules were made to be broken.
Besides, it would be no exaggeration to say that what he planned to do in the future would tear the witcher's code laid down by his predecessors to shreds.
So, did this count as warming up for defying the ancestral teachings later?
He gave it a moment's thought.
How much the escort job paid was secondary.
The important thing was that, since this man had appeared here at this point in time, it meant the Night of the Long Knives and Torches hadn't happened yet.
In that case...
"I see. Then, Master Istredd, may I ask where you're headed? I need to assess the danger based on the destination and route before calculating my fee."
Istredd agreed. "That's perfectly reasonable. Although this is our first meeting, I trust you won't go spreading it around."
"My caravan will cross the Mahakam Mountains to Dorian, take a boat along the Pontar River to Novigrad, then continue north until we reach the Principality of Talgar."
The Principality of Talgar was an independent country in the northern part of the continent, even farther north than Redania, bordering the neutral nations of Kovir and Poviss.
Lynn rubbed his chin. "With all due respect, Master Istredd, the journey from Aedd Gynvael to the Principality of Talgar is hardly a short one."
Istredd's expression remained unchanged as he spoke.
"That's true, which is precisely why I need an exceptionally skilled witcher to protect my caravan."
"If you agree, the caravan will cover all your expenses for the duration of your employment. Once we reach the Principality of Talgar, I'll also pay you two hundred crowns."
The crown was a currency issued by Novigrad.
Of all the currencies issued in the Northern Kingdoms, it was the most stable and the most valuable.
At present, one Novigrad crown could be exchanged for six Temerian gold orens.
As a result, many merchants were quite happy to use gold crowns.
Two hundred crowns were equivalent to twelve hundred orens.
That was no small sum.
What's more, if he agreed, a handsome payment wouldn't be the only thing he stood to gain...
He had no reason to refuse.
"Master Istredd, I'd be happy to accept your offer. I just have one small question."
"Please, go ahead," Istredd said cheerfully.
Lynn blinked.
"Since it's such a long journey, would you be willing to hire another witcher?"
When Geralt finally had his fill of his abalone feast and arrived at the tavern to meet Lynn,
Lynn told him about Istredd's commission.
Geralt thought it over, then nodded.
"The pay is generous. It's a long journey, but having work is better than having none."
Geralt wasn't the sort to be pedantic to the point of inflexibility, either.
Witchers were already dying out by the day. They could barely keep themselves alive, so why fuss over such things?
Rather, given how miserable their lives were, it was already commendable that witchers still upheld their morals and principles instead of resorting to robbery.
What more could anyone ask for?
As long as it wasn't an assassination contract that directly violated the ancestral teachings, other jobs were open to discussion.
After all, going hungry was a truly unpleasant experience.
"So you're agreeing?"
"Of course."
Seeing that Geralt had agreed,
Lynn swallowed the rest of his arguments.
In truth, while he had only had some suspicions earlier,
after their conversation, Lynn was almost certain that this merchant from Kovir who called himself Istredd was actually the future king of Kovir and Poviss, Istredd Thyssen.
Istredd was a descendant of the Thyssen family.
His grandfather and father had both ruled Kovir and Poviss.
But during his father's reign, a nobleman named Lettenhove had seized both the throne and the country.
From that point on, the young prince Istredd had led the nobles who remained loyal to him into exile in the Principality of Talgar.
Because the Principality of Talgar had once been the Thyssen family's homeland, and many collateral branches of the family still lived there, it became a refuge for the exiles.
Istredd spent most of his exile in Talgar.
But he didn't squander that time.
He kept building his strength, gathering supporters, and secretly uniting his allies.
When the time was ripe, he returned as king, slaughtered the traitor's family to the last, and reclaimed his throne.
That bloody night later became known as the Night of the Long Knives and Torches.
In both character and ability, Istredd and his son unquestionably ranked among the foremost kings of the North.
In the future timeline, when the entire North faced the threat of the Nilfgaardian Empire, Istredd, who had long been firmly established on the throne of Kovir and Poviss, not only generously provided a million gold crowns to aid Redania.
He also released the country's prisoners, allowing them to join the Free Company as mercenaries and fight for the North, ultimately turning the tide.
And in the slightly more distant future, because of the persecution of mages that King Radovid of Redania unleashed across the North,
every mage in the North feared for their own safety.
In that dark age, the only safe haven that sheltered mages was Kovir and Poviss under the rule of Istredd's son.