A square-shaped portal appeared out of thin air, accompanied by strong gusts of wind. Seven men with strange eyes and two swords strapped to their backs appeared from within. And three horses emerged after them.
"Man, a one-time, one-way portal is sweet. We can travel anywhere we want with it." Lambert looked around curiously.
They were in a dark cave filled with stalactites. A path made of stone tiles sat in the middle, while alchemical apparatuses and gigantic containers stood on the right. Dusty bookshelves leaned on the stone walls, and a few wooden boards filled with holes formed a makeshift bed. There was also a big cauldron supposedly used for cooking.
"And this portal is expensive. Use it once and it's done. I had to almost beg Coral to give me one." Roy shot Furyfire into the brazier and lit up the hall. "This is a one-time deal. Next time, we'll have to make the journey."
"You're in the brotherhood's laboratory, guests from Kaer Morhen!" Auckes went to the center of the hall and spread his arms. "This is going to be the place where we improve our recipes and hold Trials."
"Where are we, a cave in rural Novigrad?" Geralt looked around.
"A hidden laboratory under the Temple Island," Letho explained.
"You guys are bold." Eskel looked surprised. He patted Scorpion to ease its unease. Scorpion was a horse he got from invoking the Law of Surprise. "I can't believe you set up a lab for non-humans right under Eternal Fire's headquarters. They might hunt you all down."
"They're powerful, but not omniscient. None of them are going to suspect anyone of pulling this off right under their noses. Let's look around the place."
The Wolves looked around the laboratory and listened to the stories that happened there. When they heard how Kiyan got his satisfying revenge, they started becoming curious about the Cats.
And then they handed their weapons and insignias to Letho for safekeeping. They also had to disguise their appearances in case Bedlam, Cleaver, or Eternal Fire's men found them out. Three unfamiliar witchers entering the city without anyone realizing would raise questions.
When their disguise was finally good to go, the 'burly manual labor' left the island and split into two teams. Most of the witchers made their way to the slums and settled the Wolves down, while Roy paid his parents a visit before heading to the ballroom in the business district.
It was only ten in the morning, but there were already more than ten customers inside. All of them were in the VIP seats on the second floor, and all of them were in silk robes. The rich, huh? Not the day off, so guess everyone else has to work.
They stared intently at the stage in the center through the curtains made out of crystal beads.
Roy bought a ticket and found himself a spot on the first floor. He dined on the peas, pickled olives, and octopus on his plate as he watched the show unfurl.
A few differently-dressed actors were performing a comedy on the stage. A gaunt, pasty farmer was struggling in the 'mud,' while the 'monster' on the ground who was covered in a black horse blanket made weird noises as he slowly moved toward the farmer like a patch of sentient soil.
And then the protagonist showed up. He was a guy with a ponytail and prop swords strapped to his back, and he looked like a witcher.
Roy narrowed his eyes. That looks like me.
The witcher charged at the 'zeugl' in the 'trash heap' and warned it solemnly before going in for the kill. After a whole presentation of some fight scenes, the farmer escaped from his predicament as the 'zeugl' died from the witcher's little dance.
Unfortunately for the farmer, he had no coins to pay, and he agreed to the Law of Surprise. The first thing he saw when he got home would be payment for the witcher. Hilariously enough, the first thing he saw was the salted fish laid out in his yard.
The play obviously embellished the witcher. Instead of getting angry, the witcher laughed heartily, not unlike a gentleman who loved to lend a helping hand. "This is what destiny decrees. We're even now."
The farmer, his fat wife, and gaunt son kept bowing at the witcher, and the curtains fell as the last delightful note played in the air.
The VIPs seemed to love the story, judging from the looks on their faces. Of course, there were some who complained about the illogical end to that story.
***
"It's been a while, Roy." Dandelion appeared from backstage. He was in his usual hat and oversized purple shirt. There was a big smile on his lips, and his face was red with excitement. "Good news, Roy. Business boomed this month. It's a miracle. We're making money faster than trolls can build bridges. It's only the first month, but we're already making a profit."
"Is that so?" Roy cocked his eyebrow. This came as a pleasant surprise, since his plan was to use the ballroom as a prop to turn the infamy of witchers around. It would make his next plan easier. Dandelion proved that he was a man of his word with the show earlier. Didn't think it would make money. Novigradians adapt really quickly, huh?
"I knew you and Priscilla could do it, Dandelion. Where is she?" Roy patted Dandelion's shoulder happily.
"Coming up with a new script. I think it's called 'Witcher and the Succubus.' She wrote the show you just watched. What do you think?"
"Not bad, but I think you're making witchers out to be some selfless characters." Dumb, if I might add. Roy suggested, "If it were me, I would have at least gotten a meal with the Law of Surprise. One salted fish isn't enough for a snack."
"There's a reason for that. Exaggeration is a crucial ingredient for dramatic effect." Dandelion started talking about the profession of stage play. "Take the play for example. They equated a life with a salted fish. Don't you think it's hilarious? And it paints witchers in a noble light. Look around you. The important guests just couldn't keep their eyes off the play, even though they kept criticizing it."
"Yeah. Humans are du… As long as it works." Roy nodded. "You talked about profit, didn't you? So how much did we make?"
"Take a guess." Dandelion's excitement was almost palpable.
"Five hundred crowns?" Roy made a conservative estimate. Don't want to hurt his confidence.
And then Dandelion looked at Roy smugly. "That's a conservative guess. We made a thousand eight crowns and fifty coppers." His smile was starting to get toothy.
"Net profit?"
"Yes. All expenses accounted for."
That's good to hear. At least we'll have money for our next plan. "And I have good news for you too. Geralt is in Novigrad."
"What?"
"I'll take him here once they're settled down."
***
Roy paid the bill and left Dandelion to swim in his own excitement. When he entered the apothecary shop next door, Kantilla the cashier noticed someone looking at her. She raised her head and saw a slender, golden-eyed man in grey armor staring at her.
She beamed and came out from behind the counter confidently. As usual, she held his arm and huddled closely to him, her eyes shining. "You're back! So, how was Kaer Morhen? Was it fun? Tell me everything!"
"Yeah, just came back today. You'd love Kaer Morhen. There's an abundance of beasts in the woods. Harpies, foglets, and cyclops too. You'd get a few more badges of honor if you tried hunting there." Roy looked at the racks of herbs and potions. Oh, there's some new potions.
And then he turned his gaze to the tattoo on Kantilla's face. Roy whipped out a dagger with a bone hilt and green blade and handed it to Kantilla. "Here. A dagger made from cyclops teeth and bone. A memento for you."
Kantilla beamed at the young witcher and left a kiss on his cheek. She was delighted to know that Roy didn't forget about her. And he's nicer to me too. No prey can escape me, the huntress. Not even in the field of romance.
"So, how's business? Is everything fine?"
"With Kiyan and The Collector protecting us, nobody's stupid enough to look for any trouble." Kantilla fiddled with her new toy happily. She swung her wrists and cut through the air before sheathing the dagger into her belt. "And business is good. Sales are rising. We're averaging eighty crowns of profit every day. After deducting taxes and Felix's share of the profit, we've made sixteen hundred crowns since you guys left. As promised, it's all in the bank. Expenses and revenue are recorded in the accounts. You can check it if you want."
So we can make twenty six hundred crowns from both shops per month. That's enough for our plan. "It's alright. I trust you." Roy pursed his lips and looked into Kantilla's eyes. "Thanks for running the shop. We couldn't have had time for anything else if not for you."
Kantilla let out a loud laughter and winked at Roy, and then she puffed her chest. "I'm your mercenary. It's normal for mercenaries to serve their employers. Don't be so formal."
"At least take some coins. You can't just do it for free."
"You guys provide food and lodging. I don't really need any money." Kantilla gave him a knowing look. "If you think I did a good job, you can always give me some gifts and surprises. Like this dagger, for example. And praise me more. And take me on hunts. Pick out some new tattoos for me, and that'd be enough."
Roy was speechless. Kantilla was really reliable and loyal, even compared to the trolls on the mountain. Well, guess I owe the ladies even more now. Good thing I can leave things on my tab for a while longer. "I'll take you on a hunt someday."
They made small talk for a while before Roy went into the shop's room.
***
It had been a month since he saw Kiyan, and the Cat changed a lot. He ditched the usual disguise and opted for a simple black shirt and a similarly black hat instead. The scars on his neck and face were still hideous, but Kiyan looked a lot more at ease.
"How are you doing, Kiyan?"
"Roy, laddie!"
The witchers high-fived and hugged each other.
"So, how's work? Did you get used to the place?"
"Work's not tiring at all. It's fun." Kiyan put his work aside and whipped out some white wine from underneath his work station. He poured a glass for him and Roy and took a sip himself. His smile was almost glimmering under the light. "Feels like I’m back to my younger days. Spent all my time making potions. It's simple and delightful. No killing, no politics. Only work." He said seriously, "I love this life. So, how did things in Kaer Morhen go?"
"The Wolves are in Novigrad." Roy stared at Kiyan and hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he asked, "Do you want to see them? It's about an organization I talked about. Sorry to drag you into the brotherhood without asking your permission."
"Yeah, I'll see them." Kiyan stood up without hesitation and took his cloak from the hanger. "You saved my life and gave me a job."
"Don't keep saying you're indebted to us. We're witchers. Witchers together strong."
"Weird saying, but here's something I learned, Roy." Kiyan shook his head. "The moment we're given life, we owe someone something, and we'll live our lives repaying that debt. We owe ourselves that. We work our lives to repay that debt, and I'm still working because I don't think I've repaid what I owe." Kiyan extended his hand, his eyes glinting like rubies. "I'm going to help with the brotherhood's establishment."
***
***
