Chapitre 36: CHAPTER 36 [THE HUNTER]
"Its price, its cost. I was in Tocbridge and dealt with a monster there..."
"Oh, that was you! By the way, how much did the old man pay you?"
I thought back to him and realized he wasn't such a bad guy. There was no sense blowing his little game.
"Three hundred. Why?"
"Oh, nothing, we've just suspected that he's been skimming off the top for a while now. Okay, let's see, how much should we pay you for the witch? I think 300 gold is fair, the same as for that monster."
"Well, one is a brainless swamp animal, and the other is a devious, magic forest witch out for blood." I reproachfully shook my head and looked into the mayor's disgustingly honest eyes. "They're completely different!"
"Completely what?"
"The witch costs more, I'm saying!"
"Yes, I get that. How much more?"
"About 500 more."
"No, not that much more. If we say, for example, something like 200..."
"You don't know anything about evil creatures, my good man." I put on a mysterious face. "The horrible ragged skirt. The terrifying crooked nose. The awful broomstick and boiling pot of nastiness. Add 400 gold to the standard 300, and you have yourself a deal."
"We have an upstanding city and upstanding witches."
The mayor looked hurt. "Crooked nose and boiling pot—please! This is an upstanding evil creature and look at you going on and on. Five hundred even, and that's it. Go kill it already. They're still feeding cows hay, and it's summer out! The whole city is in a panic... I'm sorry, I got carried away. Anyway, the herder's afraid to take the cattle outside the city. But what kind of witch would go after a grimy wretch like him? So what do you say to 550?"
"Okay, Mr. Mayor." I was about ready to give in.
"Six hundred and we'll start the hunt."
"Deal. But bring me her book of magic to prove you killed her." His tone made me realise that there was no bargaining on that point.
You have a new quest offer: Kill the Forest Witch.
Task: Kill the witch living in the forest near Fladridge.
Reward:
600 gold
1500 experience
10% to your reputation in Fladridge
Additional condition: Bring the witch's book of magic to the city mayor as confirmation that you killed her.
Accept?
"Done! Just give me some gold to buy food with."
"After the quest." The mayor stopped me with a gesture.
"An old man in a tiny little village gave me an advance so I could grab a bite to eat before my daring feat of heroic Valor . But the mayor of an enormous city can't match him. Well, whatever you say... Just don't expect the minstrels to sing your praises in my ballads!"
"Fine, fine." The mayor amiably buckled under my reproaches. "I don't care about ballads, but the city's reputation... Talk to the storekeeper on the first floor. Tell him I sent you."
"No, no thank you. I know those storekeepers. 'We'll write up a certificate. Give the bearer food. Sign here. Stamp here."
"Are you sure you're a hero in search of adventure?"
"Yes, I am, don't worry."
I left the magistrate building pleased with myself.
Pausing to look around the square, I remarked to myself how great the developers were. It was a good world they'd thought up. Very diverse.
So where was the local headstone? I had a witch to kill.
Having visited the headstone that, per the usual, was close to the city gate, I stood by it for a second mulling over my options. Was it worth going back to wander around the streets and find some side quests? In the end, I decided it wasn't worth the extra hassle—after all, the most fun I'd had in the game was when I explored areas off the beaten track. Plus, I wasn't terribly interested in anything like "bring me ten wolf fangs" or "collect ten medicinal field dandelions." Quests like that were too straightforward and boring. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the people who try to beat every quest in a particular game, and I don't call them nerds. That's just the kind of people they are—nothing wrong with that.
I smacked my forehead in disgust at my forgetfulness once more, headed over to the nearest vendor, and unloaded everything I'd accumulated in my bag: some pelts, the scimitar belonging to my now-defeated friend Vuiikh, and the rest of the trash. The total came to six gold. Sure, my mom and grandmother told me to always bargain, but I was too lazy that time.
At the Fladridge gate, I expected to see the usual yellow brick road, but I was mistaken. It turned out to be paved with planks, giving way to a normal dirt road after about a kilometer. Maybe the developers were having a little fun, or maybe the mayor was just too stingy to fork out the money. Either way, the pattern was broken.
There was a ways to go: five miles by road, I estimated, and then a trek through the forest. Covering distances like that every day, I thought, would get me used to it in a hurry, and in the end, I might even start to enjoy it. Especially since I had something to think about.
My thoughts covered the social experiment that had yielded such unusual and fascinating results, and my third article, which I had already written in my head and just needed to get down on paper. I even started Organised my thoughts for the fourth article. I thought back to how I'd promised Elvira a trip to Spain that we never took. And, you know, I was having such a good time that I was thoroughly disappointed to see three figures straddling the road and a message pop up.
Attention. Vuiikh, a player you blacklisted, is nearby.
"You didn't think you were going to get away that easily, did you?" The voice belonged to my already good friend Vuiikh.
"Wait, are you following me?" I asked. "Don't you have a life? You killed me once, I killed you once, and so we're even. Call it a day and move on."
"Where's my scimitar? You probably sold it, you dog."
"You won't believe it, but I just did half an hour ago." My answer was completely honest. "In Fladridge. If you hurry, you might be in time to buy it. Look for the vendor closest to the gate. Off you go!"
"First, I'll kill you, then I'll go get it." Vuiikh licked his lips, obviously anticipating the unpleasantries he had planned.
Yes, go get it, I thought. They'll catch you there—I saw at least two Hounds. They'll give you a scimitar you won't soon forget, and they'll give you a lot more, too. Although, it was weird that he wasn't afraid to go to the city. Maybe he didn't know he was being hunted?
Incidentally, my opponents were dressed much worse than when we'd last met, and it struck me how shabby they looked. They'd apparently grabbed whatever they had in their rooms and didn't take the time to visit the auction.
"You aren't looking your best, boys. No money?" My question was equal parts gloating and sympathy.
"We were in a hurry," answered Vuiikh. "We didn't want to miss you."
"What made you think you'd find me here?"
"There's only one road. You were obviously on your way to the city, and this is the only road going in that direction. As soon as we died, we picked up some things from our rooms and used our last scroll to get to Fladridge. Then, we set up this little ambush, figuring you might decide to go back to Tocbridge. We've been here for days, haven't touched anyone, just taking turns logging out to catch some sleep. And here you are."
There was some logic to their plan, I had to give them that. Also, that was why nobody from the Hounds had gotten to them—they'd been hiding here the whole time. It was true: they had no idea they were being hunted.
I was completely satisfied in the knowledge that my death would almost immediately be avenged and that I wouldn't lose much. After all, my most valuable possessions were now in the hotel, along with my money, and I could just replace my current equipment and weapon at the auction. Maybe even splurge on an upgrade. But thinking about the surprise awaiting my sworn enemies set my mind completely at ease.
I started the battle coolly and calmly. "Let's go, you animals! Thieves, onward!" I assumed my stance.
The ores appeared shocked by my composure and impudence. At least, the two moving to surround me on either side did so cautiously and even uneasily, apparently not sure what to make of a Level 22 warrior ready to take on three higher-level opponents.
I calmly watched their pincers close in on me. Vuiikh himself clearly wanted the kill to sate his complex. The other two were there to back him up and, if worse came to worst, kill me before I could hurt their leader. There appeared to be no thoughts of drawing out my pain and suffering. That might have been because Vuiikh had come to respect me, or it might have been because he was afraid of someone popping out of the bushes again. That latter option was more plausible, and the thought put a smile on my face.
"Go ahead; smile," the ore said. "You won't be for long!"
~ ~ ~
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone