Chapter 68: Chapter 13
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Damian.
Bertram Skellen was the name of the investigator who served in Nazair. This man is the father of the Witcher's fan-favourite coroner, Stefan Skellen, the one who will leave an unpleasant mark on Ciri's cheek in the future. But so far, that hadn't happened.
Bertram was a short, thin brunet with a lean and weathered face. His hair was already grey. There was an espagnole on his face that had also turned silver from the grey. The man appeared to be in his fifth or sixth decade.
Skellen senior was from a family of native nobles from Nilfgaard. Only his branch of the family, or rather even part of the family, had migrated to Nazair after it was captured. And according to their status and sense of duty, they have taken up important positions and serve the Emperor.
The only thing I've learnt about the younger one is that after serving in the army, he went off to scout for de Rideau about a year ago, and hasn't been heard from since. "Reading" Skellen Senior was pretty easy, so this information and some facts about Junior's life I learnt without much effort.
He interviewed everyone, including me. Of course, it took several hours for everyone, and therefore Skellen's questioning took two whole days. Then we promised not to leave the town for another week. That didn't interfere with our plans, so we had fun in town.
Baldur, Osmund and Miro had the most fun. They drank the most, fucked the most women, and got into fights more often than the others. But that's just an everyday thing. The main thing is that their adventures don't cause any real problems.
After Nazair, we'll return to the North, specifically to Cintra. So decided Eastredd, who taught me everything I need to know. The rest will come with experience. Though perhaps he's had enough of my "tricks" and the adventures we've been having. Or maybe he really sincerely believes that I have learnt everything I could. He's given me the right experience and brought me into contact with the right people, and he loves Jennyfair and clearly wants her.
I also missed my mother, and there was a worm of doubt gnawing at me about her being in Aedirn and her desire for political power, which had never happened before. When I contacted her in Nazair, I learnt that she was officially a councillor on a par with Radcliffe, and that she had been given an earl's title and even a small plot of land, as I had, after helping to uncover the plot of a small part of the nobility. So her influence is growing. And why Radcliffe isn't concerned about it I don't know. But Mum is quite calm and asks me not to worry about anything.
Knowing her, I can assume they're working with him, but I'm missing something.
However, I should probably visit Wengerberg in person instead of guessing at coffee grounds.
At any rate, after Cintra, I want to visit Vizima. In the first game part of The Witcher a certain Alzur from Maribor was mentioned. Actually, he was also mentioned in the book saga, and from the stories of Istredd and my mother I understood that he is one of the truly great mages of this world. He had invented about half of the strongest and most dangerous spells the world had ever known, and he was also a genetic researcher, a demonologist, and a very good judge of Geniuses, no worse than his illustrious predecessors Herbert Stammelford and Geoffrey Monk. What to say, if after himself he left even a few storage places, which no one has never been able to open. And what's inside remains there with no way of getting to it.
And I really want to get in there. If the game does not lie, I even know a way to get into the vault-tower near Vyzima, and in Redania there is a cache.
And I want to meet Triss. She's probably all grown up now, and she's probably already got something to squeeze, and if she doesn't, it doesn't matter, I'm not picky. I don't want to be second best...
Besides, I need to stop by Tretogor to see Philippa. Still, I wonder what my desire for her will be. What can I say, but even in my third life, I'm still an inquisitive child. And after that I could go to my mother's house for my fifteenth birthday with a clear conscience.
It's not a bad plan, the main thing is not to fuck it up.
And there's a possibility of screwing it up. Well, I can't forget Datlaff and Sianna, and Sianna might even be easier to recruit than most. I know what to press and how to talk to these girls.
But you have to be careful with Datlaff. I don't know about the next rebirth, maybe it's my last life. It's not gonna be easy for me to beat an imba like that. Wilhelforz had the ability and the will. I'm in a different situation. So, to recruit Datlaff I need to weigh a lot of things and find something to offer him, but for now it all remains as a dream.
Day by day the discipline in our squad threatened to start falling apart, even though we were not a monolithic squad, and I didn't demand discipline from anyone yet, and I didn't need it yet. But it was still a worrying sign. So I got Borchis to bring everyone to their senses. We just organised a little "fight club" where everyone participated against everyone else in hand-to-hand style, with weapons and just measured their strength. It even got to the point where the locals joined in.
So at the end of the term we had a lot of fun and beat the crap out of our mates' heads.
Eastredd and I also helped Skellen Senior in his investigation and worked for the good of the town, not for nothing, of course. For us, though, the interest here was not material, but mental. We lacked experience and were bored.
I even began to hunt the local animals and monsters alone with just a sword without magic.
And then, when our stay was prolonged again because Istredd met his old acquaintance and also a mage from the Northern Kingdoms that decided to emigrate to the Nilfgaardian Empire - Algernon Gwynkamp, nicknamed Pineti. He was a scholar that was forced to leave Rissberg because of contradictions with his colleagues, was not inclined after the story with Ortolan to leave his place, but then changed his mind and stayed. And then a new round of contradictions and backstabbing wars and now he's here. When he realised who I was, he wanted to teach me a bit and examine me at the same time. He didn't do anything serious with me, it was more of a duty for him as a man of honour to see if I was all right, after the old man or not? And then already I led him to think of accepting me into their little club of "not quite young all-knowing pathologists".
But I'm not complaining, it was interesting to talk to such an expert, and soon I had an obsession with the idea to breed a chimera that would look like a dog and be loyal to me, if not a breed of dog with special characteristics.
How could I be worse than the Starks and their direwolves?!
So when the end of May came, I suddenly realised that Pineti had already managed to say goodbye to us without my noticing and had gone further south, and Istredd smilingly announced that we were going to Cintra.
I was glad, for I wanted to see little Ciri for myself. She must be about a year old now, if I'm not mistaken. And it would be good to talk to Emgyr again. I miss fishing at the mouth of the Yaruga.
Cursed Merigold got me hooked on that fishing, and now I can't get away from it. But the most important thing is that neither in my first life, where my grandfather was an active fisherman, nor in my second life, where I had to fish and travel to such hot spots more than in the first one, I had no such craving. Even hunting was more interesting. But in this life, it's like they're talking. And now I can't afford alcohol, so I drink it purely for aesthetics and enjoy the taste.
So from the former pleasures, only battles, sex and, it seems, real power, which I do not have yet.
I'm also getting a taste for science, which I didn't expect, but it's because I want to become more magically powerful, so I haven't changed.
In fact, my main change in my new life is just having magic. Under different circumstances, I feel I would be repeating the path I took in Martin's world.
A month after the events with Deathluff, whom I never saw, we arrived in Cintra.
It was as prosperous and radiant as ever.
The ancient ruins of the elven city had been inhabited long ago, and by adding a bit of sophistication and its human architectural style, the city had become a highlight among all the cities of the North, only Kovir and Novigrad could compare to it in its beauty and profitability.
There was something about the city that appealed to me. But of all the "medieval" cities in all the worlds, I probably liked Braavos and Volantis better. Though here I have yet to see Kovir and Novigrad. And the merchants tell real tales of Ophir and Zerrikania, so I should visit them too. But later, when I've travelled there myself.
We were well received here. Especially Aiste, with whom I managed to make some semblance of friendship, as did Istredd. Kalanthe was more cool to our drinking, fishing, and hunting, and was more concerned with the problems of the state, and tried to teach her daughter to do the same, but as far as I could tell from Eyste's stories, Dani aka Emgyr Batkovich was more attentive to politics, which made the Cintrian Lioness uneasy. Perhaps the rift between her son-in-law and Kalanthe had already begun and was intensifying.
Dani, Pavetta and little Cirilla were not in Cintra, so we were unable to meet them, they had left for Skellige and it was not clear how long they would be there. So, having decided to postpone this meeting to the future we just enjoyed our holidays and drinking. I won the title of "King of Al" for the umpteenth time. And Aist was asking me to marry his widowed sister. He said that I was a Skelligean at heart and was ready to become a member of their people on the basis of two main features - the ability to drink and to fight.
I fought with everyone I could with swords and other weapons, but remained invincible. Alas, but unfortunately for my opponents, I have more experience, and my body is much better than theirs. They have no chance, only a special category of people can roll me on the ground.
Soon in the middle of June came the knights' tournament, where I won of course, although I faced all the important knights of the North and even the Nilfgaardian Empire, and also had the opportunity to compete with Leto of Guletta himself. But alas, we were in different categories, and he managed to lose in his second fight. Then he left Cintra in a hurry and I had no time to contact him. But this witch would have been a good addition to my group, and if he refused to join my squad, I would still at least try to get a duel out of him. I'd like to compare my skills and experience with those of a seasoned witch.
But that didn't happen.
A week later I contacted my mother and found out that she was going to Tretogor on a diplomatic mission to Visimir, so I would have to go there instead of Aedirn. Plus she wanted to visit some of the cities and resorts with me.
Eastredd bowed out and teleported back to his homeland. At the same time, Brochis also found himself in his small homeland with my help. I went to Vyzima with my small group of young knights, squires and former peasants who wanted to be my squires.
Pontar Valley. Same time.
Ida Emean aep Sivney awoke again in a sweat.
The nasty feeling of dread caught up with her again. Even when she was in her native lands, not far from her mate and loyal people.
All around was the silence and harmony of nature.
She hadn't had a single bad dream or horrible vision in the last year and a half with the monster that had been appearing to her for the last few years. It was strange, but Ida didn't mind that sort of thing.
And tonight she was once again struck by the strange feeling that the Blood Rider was somewhere near. That he was back for some reason. And she still hadn't been able to find him.
Luckily, this time there was a premonition that she would soon get through this strange and illogical task in her life.
The canopy of her tent swung open and Francesca came in.
- Good morning, Ida. - The Elf-Lady smiled, but when she saw her friend's face, she changed her mood. - Have those visions come back again? - she frowned. - What is it this time?
- Yes and no. The Blood Rider made itself known again, only this time it felt different. It was hard to say or explain. But it was like he was softer. I don't know how to tell you this.
- Hmm. Softer? I don't know what's going on, but I think it makes sense. The important thing is to know where to find him and what he is.
- That's not your concern, Marguerite. - Her friend gave her a fake smile. - I will deal with it myself. I am the Knower!
- I believe in you. - Francesca closed her eyes and went to the small mirror that was nearby on the dressing table. - I'm going to Redania.
- Why?
- To see Philippa and talk to Jennyfair about some ancient treatises. It turns out she's somehow managed to get hold of the treatises of our first kings. It's very valuable knowledge about the history and lineage of the Elder Blood.
- You want them back.
- It is possible. - Francesca nodded and, having finished looking at herself in the mirror, returned to her friend on the bed. - I doubt Yennyfair would have let me know about them and not made a copy of the treatises for herself. Still, she's an amazing person, whatever you call her, it's a shame she's only a quarter elf.
- You can use magic to give her pointy ears. - Ida smiled more lively. - I think she'll be as good an elf as you are.
- I think I'll have to give up my seat to her if she suddenly becomes an elf. - Marguerite joked. - She's taken on too much power in Aedirn. I've never seen her so eager before. It surprises me. And intriguing because I don't know what she's up to. But I think I'll find out.
- I'll help. Also, I'll get you a list of the Temeria conspirators later.
- Are these all the visions that are useful to me? - The Vale Daisy bowed her head birdlike.
- Hmm. I don't know, but... I also saw Aenniweddien. She's returned to the North, though I saw her just six months ago in Bockler.
- Is she a threat?
- No." Her red curls flickered, duplicating her mistress's negative answer. - She doesn't seem to be a threat. Perhaps her return is due to the young man who leads her.
- Love?
- I don't know, you know my sparkling cousin's temper. - Ida laughed. - She finds it hard to get along with anyone. But if she can with him and his mates, she may have found her salvation in him.
- I am glad. - Francesca replied sincerely and stood up. - If she is not a threat to us, then I sincerely rejoice in her fate and wish her happiness, but, alas, we can hardly take her back.
- I know. But I doubt she needs to go back. I didn't see anything wrong with her fate, although it started to read badly for some reason. I don't know why.
There was silence for a while, which was broken again by the Lady of the Vale.
- I think I'll be going now. Be careful and take care of yourself.
- Safe journey, Marguerite. - Ida gave her a parting smile before she disappeared into the Portal.
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