Capítulo 208: Cat School Assassin
After hearing about the Viper School's current state, Wayne shared some information about the Wolf School's situation with Letho and the others.
When they learned that Kaer Morhen, the Wolf School's keep, had also been attacked by mobs and warlocks, and that its numbers had dwindled to less than ten witchers, a sense of shared hardship and understanding passed between them.
Wayne also told Letho about the Griffin School. The three Viper School witchers were dismayed to hear that the once-renowned Griffin School had also fallen victim to warlocks, now reduced to only two or three witchers. They clenched their fists, their expressions grim, lost in their own thoughts.
As they continued drinking, they spoke freely about their frustrations and the strange people and experiences they'd encountered in their adventurous lives. It was a pleasant and engaging conversation.
After more than a dozen bottles of fine wine, everyone's faces were flushed, and their spirits were high. Their words flowed freely, and the atmosphere was jovial.
Except for a generous man like Wayne, few had the opportunity to indulge in so much good wine at once.
After the third round of drinks, it was time to get down to business. Letho, holding a wine bottle, looked at Wayne with his amber eyes and asked drunkenly:
"Wayne," Letho began, "tell me about your commission. You said it's from you personally. What do you need our help with?"
Wayne set his wine glass down, looked at the Viper School witchers, and after a moment's thought, said, "Originally, I was going to hire you as bodyguards for a special team of mine. But yesterday, I found some valuable information, including the locations of grandmaster witcher gear diagrams for various schools. So I've changed my mind."
"Let's complete a few contracts in Toussaint first, then we'll discuss future commissions."
"Grandmaster diagrams?" Letho's eyes widened, and he asked excitedly, "Do you have the Viper School grandmaster diagrams?"
The Viper School's grandmaster diagrams had been lost during the Nilfgaardian siege. Recovering them would be immensely meaningful to Letho, who had a strong sense of responsibility. It was no wonder he was excited.
Wayne smiled and nodded. "I have information about the diagrams for several schools, except for the Cat School."
"You may have heard of the elven armor master, Tyen'sail. He's a renowned craftsman in the south. These equipment diagrams were lost when some of our fellow witchers came to him to have gear made."
Letho nodded thoughtfully, then said with a serious expression, "Wayne, if there are Viper School grandmaster diagrams among them, I hope to make a copy so I can bring them back to our school. It's the responsibility of a Viper School witcher."
Wayne didn't hesitate and immediately agreed with a smile. In fact, when talking to Tyen'sail, he had received a master-level task from the elf: to find the grandmaster equipment diagrams for the five witcher schools. Now, he planned to entrust this task to Letho and his companions. The expense would be far less than the system's rewards, and he'd gain experience and treasure chests for free – a perfect exploitation of the system.
In the future, if these witchers joined his cause, he could delegate other time-consuming, high-level commissions and difficult tasks to them. He'd reap the rewards without lifting a finger, continuing to fleece the system.
Without reservation, he told Letho and the others the location of the Viper School diagrams, asking them to retrieve the loot on his behalf. He had great trust in Letho's integrity.
In the original story, Geralt and Letho had met by chance, and Geralt had saved Letho's life from a slyzard.
Later, after Geralt was taken by the Wild Hunt, Letho and his companions protected Yennefer for nearly a year. Eventually, the Nilfgaardian emperor captured Yennefer and forced Letho to assassinate the Northern kings.
Faced with such a dangerous task, Letho and his men didn't refuse. They ventured north and assassinated King Demavend of Aedirn. Tragically, during the assassination of King Foltest, they were killed by an amnesiac Geralt.
It was a tale of loyalty and unfortunate ends.
As their feast neared its end, Letho shared an interesting piece of news with Wayne.
In the past, the Viper School, like the Cat School, sometimes took on assassination contracts in the south. They had established connections with the local Thieves' and Assassins' Guilds and were considered top assassins. This was one of the main reasons the usurper emperor wanted to recruit the Viper School witchers.
While in Toussaint to hunt the pterodactyl, Letho had accidentally learned from the Southern Assassins' Guild that someone wanted to assassinate Beauclair's court mage, Artorian Vigo - the uncle of sorceress Fringilla Vigo.
Furthermore, Letho had learned through special channels that a Cat School witcher had already accepted this contract. He had likely arrived in Toussaint and could strike at any time.
This news surprised and bewildered Wayne. What was going on? Was he like some story protagonist, attracting trouble wherever he went?
His first time in Toussaint, and he'd already encountered members of both the Viper and Cat Schools. What a coincidence!
But then, Wayne became intrigued by the Cat School.
There was a saying in the witcher world that the witchers' low social status was partly due to their practice of taking children and partly due to the Cat School assassins.
This group of highly skilled assassins, specializing in killing powerful figures, had instilled fear in the ruling class, who saw witchers as a threat.
Rumors detrimental to witchers began to spread, tarnishing their reputation and hastening the decline of their profession.
This claim wasn't entirely baseless. When the Cat School splintered off, there were issues with their mutation formula and equipment, coupled with some human-caused accidents. This led to every Cat School witcher developing extreme personalities, becoming capricious, irritable, and prone to violence.
Furthermore, most of them were assassins, specializing in killing people, regardless of age or gender. This made the Cat School witchers both hated and feared.
Like other witcher schools, the Cat School didn't have a fixed academy, instead living in caravans similar to gypsies.
However, within the past year, their headquarters had also been besieged by a human army, resulting in heavy casualties. Although the Cat School might have the most survivors compared to other schools, it was essentially crippled and unlikely to rise again.
Wayne kept this information in mind. He hadn't yet decided whether to tell Fringilla or Francesca. On the one hand, it involved the Cat School witchers. On the other hand, it was just information obtained through Letho, and its veracity couldn't be confirmed.
But now that he knew, he couldn't let it go to waste. He would find time to meet this potential Cat School witcher and see if he could gain something from the encounter.
After the feast, Wayne kept his promise. Embracing the spirit of revelry, he took the three Viper School witchers to Beauclair's most upscale brothel. He ordered three young and beautiful women for each of Letho and his companions, and four for himself, and they all indulged.
As the saying goes, the four irons of life are: serving in the military together, sharing a window together, being imprisoned together, and visiting brothels together.
While this saying was a joke, it held some truth in fostering camaraderie.
The next afternoon, when they gathered again, they were much closer, almost like good friends.
Wayne wasn't stingy either. He had thousands of bottles of intermediate healing and mana potions stored away and distributed a few to each of them. He also paid them two hundred crowns in advance for the mission, allowing Letho and his companions to fully prepare for their task of finding the grandmaster equipment diagrams.
After Letho and his companions left, Wayne returned to the Red Rose Inn and rested in his room for the afternoon.
As dusk fell, he changed into light clothing, donned his invisibility cloak, and headed towards Beauclair Palace.
To catch the Cat School witcher, he needed to find the residence of the court mage, Artorian Vigo, and gather information in advance.
The Cat School witcher was likely also scouting the target. If Wayne was lucky, this witcher might fall right into his hands.
Toussaint had no standing army, relying instead on several regiments of wandering knights to maintain border and road security. The capital, Beauclair, and palace security were handled by the Ducal Guard.
Although nominally a vassal of Nilfgaard, Toussaint enjoyed a high degree of autonomy. The empire generally didn't interfere in their internal affairs or violate their borders.
When Wayne, cloaked in invisibility, reached Beauclair Palace, he found its defenses surprisingly lax. Perhaps due to the prolonged peace, the guards, though smartly dressed and well-equipped, lacked the hardened spirit of soldiers truly tested by blood and fire. They seemed like young recruits who would crumble at the first sign of trouble.
Wayne easily bypassed the guards and entered the palace's interior.
He had to admit, Beauclair Palace was even more beautiful than the city itself. Its architecture was both luxurious and artistic, adorned with various works of art and statues. The ladies and servants who moved about were exquisitely dressed, as if they belonged in a fairy tale, just like the palace itself.
Wayne, who hadn't traveled much in his previous life, was captivated by the scenery. Remaining invisible, he explored the palace while scouting. Soon, he came upon a back garden filled with blooming flowers, a picturesque sight.
At the garden's center, a beautiful girl in a black dress sat by the fountain, a melancholic expression on her face. Her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders, revealing a glimpse of her cleavage. She held a plucked flower in her hand, lost in thought.
Witnessing this scene, Wayne felt the surrounding flowers and greenery pale in comparison. A smirk played on his lips as he quietly approached the girl, shamelessly enjoying the close-up view only he could see.
A few minutes later, Wayne sat in a nearby pavilion, enjoying the evening breeze as he pondered his next move.
He was contemplating how to locate the court mage, Artorian, without causing a disturbance in this vast palace.
Just then, another girl with blonde hair, an ample figure, and a gorgeous blue dress approached from the other side of the garden.
Upon seeing the black-haired girl by the fountain, her eyes welled up with tears, and she cried out, "Syanna, I heard a rumor. They said you're going to be expelled."
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