Chapter 74: Chapter 17
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***
Damian Blackheart.
I awoke to a pleasant stroking on my back.
A gentle hand slid down my spine to my arse before pinching it.
- Usually men pinch girls' arses. - I replied with a smile without opening my eyelids.
- Women don't usually drag young boys into their bed, albeit... experienced and hot like you. - and bit my ear.
- I know you like meat, my sweet Sabrina, but let's be honest. Human meat is no good, and the ear is a lot of gristle, and it's unpalatable. And you like roast meat on top of everything else. And the only thing that can be roasted is you, my dear.
- What a vulgar son Jenny is raising. Not only has he seduced an innocent sorceress, but he says naughty things. Boor! - and threw a pillow at me.
- Look who's calling herself an innocent woman. And who two days ago suggested we go to Mahakam for more Red-Man spirit?
I rolled over and saw a dishevelled Sabrina, unashamed of her body and not even thinking to cover it with something decent. Her dark scarlet nipples were sticking out perkily, and she looked up at me. Her breasts were engorged, but not from pregnancy, and she was slightly sweaty. According to my internal clock, it had only been three hours since we'd fallen asleep after another wild night. It was just getting light then, but now the sun was fully up and blinding my right eye.
- Don't forget that every Knight of the Golden Unicorn, the highest state honour, must be present at Baroness Margot Tansin's salon tonight. This tradition has been honoured for thirty years.
- I haven't forgotten about him. Otherwise I'd still be fucking you and not getting out of bed at all. - I pulled her to me and kissed her.
Sabrina Glevissig wrapped her arms around my neck and rubbed her thigh against my engorged cock.
- I'm sorry, Damian. But I have things to do. - and deftly jumped off the bed, escaping my clinging hands. - I promise you'll have another opportunity to get to those babies tonight. - She ran her finger across her breasts and then walked playfully to the wardrobe. - But now I'll have to report to Henselt. Give some advice and take care of some other things.
- Has the hard work with Hancelt begun?
- It's a regular "routine," my dear. - she snorted. - It's just that you've thrown me off my game. Because of you, they'll be waiting for me for another hour at the meeting while I take a bath and get dressed at home.
Then she got dressed in her tattered clothes and teleported to her house.
I was still lying on the bed when Iskra came in.
- You look like shit. - I remarked as I looked at her bags under her eyes, her tangled hair, and the booze emanating from her. - Did Bella get you drunk again?
- Yeah. I'll never understand her fondness for red-human liquor. It's disgusting.
- I think that in a little while she'll not only get you drunk, but she'll get you to share men, or she'll pull you into her bed, ha-ha-ha.
- Shut up!" Iskra said irritably and took a jug of water to restore the water balance.
- What are you here for? Do you really want to replace Sabrina? I'm not going to share a bed with Dh'oine. - and got hit in the head with my trousers.
- I've had it! When are you going to forget about that joke? - the pixie fell into the chair.
- I have a good memory, so I never forget anything. - The bed creaked under me, and I sat down on it, putting on my underpants and then my trousers. - Okay, jokes aside. Is something wrong?
- No, nothing. I'm just bored and I thought it'd be nice to train with you. You're the best swordsman I've ever seen in my entire life. The rest of us are either out on assignments, drinking or training. But the only ones training are Miro as a trainer and your squires with the untalented.
- Hm. And who is on assignments and what kind of assignments? - I asked.
- A couple of packs of drow have been spotted in a few places around Ard Carraig. Osmund, Baldur, Borchis and his little ones had gone there, and the Red Men with five human fighters.
Our little retinue from the days of Nilfgaard hunted first all manner of foul things for ingredients and then gangs for bounty. As our numbers grew and Eastredd left us, we continued to do so. After all, training is not superfluous, and you can get rewards, and most importantly experience. Eventually, after Cintra, Temeria, Redania and Upper Aedirn, we doubled in number and began to slay gangs and all sorts of evil that my boys could handle, as well as participate in tournaments. We had a steady income from all that. A tenth of any income went to the treasury of the squad, and the rest was left to the one who got it, if he was alone, or divided fairly among the members of the group.
So it was the same scheme as the Green Cloaks when I was still a Rivers and had my own mercenary unit. The name is different now, but the scheme is the same and the training is almost the same. I've just added new elements to the training based on my additional experience and research since the Battle of Dawn.
- Right. Well done. I guess I should do something to keep in shape. I'll start with a practice fight with you. Now, hmm, listen, how much money have we got in the general treasury?
- Five thousand seven hundred gold oren, fifteen hundred Novigrad silver crowns, another three hundred gold ducats and coppers in Kaedwen currency. Why?
- What I love you for is your stinginess and enterprise, which you hide and call frugality. Okay, don't snort. I love you for your talents, and frugality and accounting are also on that list.
- So you still haven't answered my question.
- I want to invest some of the treasury in something. I'm thinking an interest-bearing bank first. Novigrad and some of the Redwoods would do. I remember we had a comrade who was rescued by me and my mother from the pogrom in Wengerberg. He became a friend of ours and even offered to start a common cause once. Mum refused, she doesn't need money. But I think we could use a little extra. For instance, we could set up a company called the West Adairn Trading Company.
- And what would it do? - Iskra was interested and moved closer.
- Guarding cargo on ships, caravans, individuals, providing armed forces for various conflicts, as well as colonising other territories and gambling on the stock exchange. It all depends on the profit and the forces we have. For all this, we'll have to go back to Temeria and maybe Novigrad. After that, Cintra and Nilfgaard. Better yet, Zerricania.
- I don't know. You speak sweetly. But I don't understand much as long as it's all so vague. You decide, I'll go to Zerricania with you. I can trust you, you won't give bad advice and you won't do shit yourself, I've already realised that. - smiled the elf.
- I'm glad they believe in me ...
Soon I got dressed and went with Spark to the training field outside the wing of the palace where we lived in Ard Carraig.
Besides us, there were guardsmen and a few bodyguards of the ambassadors from Cintra and Kovir training here.
Everyone in the castle had already felt in their ribs and everything what it meant to face me in battle, so they were more cautious and respected me sincerely. Even though I was two or even three times younger than my opponents.
They even thought I was using magic, but the amulets that detected it and Sabrina, who watched me with interest at first, confirmed the purity of the fight. And after another week of our close acquaintance with her, she was already in my bunk. It was just a nice addition for her, as I was the son of Jennyfar, her sworn friend, and I was also good, so I've been fighting her for a little less than a month now. Which Mum's partly happy about. Still, Sabrina sometimes sits down with pain in one place, much to the delight of Jennyfair, who has re-learned me to enjoy little pranks and mischief that inconveniences the enemy.
So with her the old saying applies - "A man's disgust is a joy to his heart!".
After two hours of Iskra's training, Mum came into our arena. Happy and joyful. It wasn't so much because she was having an affair with Henselt, but because she was still amused by Marty's case of love failure.
Alas, sometimes there are lovers of other "knights" among knights, so when Marty had been seducing such a cad for half a month, she unexpectedly snuck into his bedchamber at night to see a little "gay" debauchery, which increases to a simply unbelievable degree with every conversation. I even feel like every knight has tried it at least once.
- How's your squad doing?
- Not bad. Why are you so interested in them? You didn't really like it when I started taking an interest in it.
- Oh, well. I won't beat around the bush. - Mum nodded and sat down next to me. - I got a message from an old friend. You know him, Molnar Giancardi. He lives and does business in Gorse Velen now.
- I remember him. - I smiled sincerely. - Nice red man. What's going on down there?
- He needs help. There's no one to guard the caravan of ships. The mercenary company that was supposed to do the guarding has abruptly given up and gone to a competitor, and he's on a deadline. I told him the other day that you've formed your own special interest group. So he's asking for your help. You and me, unlike the others, we keep our word.
- That's good. - I nodded. I don't mind. My guys will be back from their contracts today, so we'll get together.
- That's good. He's already got two dozen of his men. But they're not professionals, just armed and loyal, tough guys. And there are five ships heading for Nilfgaard itself.
- To the capital itself. - I'm getting excited.
- Yeah. I guess you never got to visit it.
- Didn't make it. - I nodded. - But I was going to visit it anyway, when I wanted to go to Zerrikania.
- Then you'll be doing something useful and necessary.
- All right, then I'll teleport over and talk to him in person. Besides, I'll have to stop by Gorse Velen and Novigrad anyway. I thought I'd do it this week, but I'll do it today.
- Why do you want to go to Novigrad? - Mum raised an eyebrow in surprise.
- I want to put some of the squad's treasury in the bank at interest. When we have our own man in banking, we'll be able to use them as we please.
- Talk to Molnar.
- He'll also be involved, or rather, I'll suggest it. There's no point in keeping all the eggs in one basket.
- Well done. - praised me and stroked my cheek Jennyfair. - You learn very quickly, you've taken the best from me.
We talked with her for a while more about business, and then already about our family interests.
After that, me, Iskra, Kirk and Mika travelled to Gorse Velen, for a conversation with the red-human banker. The negotiations went rather easily, we agreed to guard his small caravan. We had five dozen men, plus me, Mum and Marty, who are mages. Also two and a half, not two dozen of Red-Eater's men. It's not a hard thing to do. I have experience guarding that many ships. And with different numbers of men available.
As for the organisation of a joint company with the Red-Eared Man, I've only cast a rod so far, and time will show what will happen. He has tentatively agreed to invest money equally with us in the endeavour. After all, an allied group of mercenaries and mages wouldn't hurt anyone. Plus a benefit that could very well pay off. I'll do my best for it. Hunting and raiding isn't the only thing we do for a living. Of course, I can do magic and healing for money, but that's another matter.
So it's all just words and plans for now.
After that we teleported to Novigrad.
Already there I turned to the "Bank of Vivaldi" and its head Vimma Vivaldi, leaving half of all crowns with him at interest, as well as the other half invested in the case of Dainty Bibervelt, according to the canon he was doing very well, especially after finding a "relative" in the person of a lowly "Dudu Bibervelt". I found out and he has such a "relative". So here the canon did not let me down.
It was past noon, so we visited one of the taverns, where we got a small addition to the squad.
I met Rubyle from Crinfrid. Moreover, at first we got into a fight with them, or rather, they got into a fight when they decided to "meet Spark". But after broken noses, cracked ribs and black eyes, their fervour faded. And then, when they came to their senses, they apologised to me and Iskra, because we beat the three of them together. Iskra wanted to beat them up, but I just couldn't miss the chance to beat someone up when I had a lot of energy and nothing to do.
In the end, we made up over a mug of ale, and then, having learnt that they were doing nothing, which was the reason why they had come to Iskra, I suggested that they join my mercenary squad. They were used to act more as a trio, but I put a little compulsion into their heads, and Kirk and Iskra gave them some extra noodles, and finally they agreed. With the proviso that after the first case they would decide whether to work with us or go their own way. And I gave them my word that they were free to leave at any time, as long as it was not a battlefield. For I don't like treachery, nor do I like cowards.
And so we found and completed our squad with the three men who had lost their lives while helping Henselt when the conspirators were trying to kill him.
The conspiracy had already been uncovered and the guilty punished, but Henselt was still puffing and angry.
After that, we travelled back to Ard Carraig.
But there was news there too. All our boys had returned from the drow hunt, bringing themselves alive and well (I'd chased them off for a reason), money, and another young sorceress named Corinne Tilly. I remembered my conversation with Philippa, who had mentioned her former apprentice as a oneiromancer, as well as The Third Witcher, where she'd appeared, so I decided to meet her. At the same time to find out why this lady decided to join our squad.
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