novelraw Chapter 17: Dragon Hunting Commission?
Chapter 17: Dragon Hunting Commission?
That night, the dwarf Zoltan never expected that, as an old Gwent player, he would actually lose to a newcomer who didn’t even have a Gwent deck. Although the stakes were small—just a casual game for fun—in accordance with Gwent rules, the winner had the right to take one card from the loser’s deck. As a result, Zoltan, who had lost several rare cards, was unable to sleep all night, his heart aching and tangled with regret. It wasn’t until the next day, with dark circles under his eyes, that he finally stepped out of the inn.
Kiriman looked at this newly acquainted dwarf with a smile, finding the dwarf race quite interesting and thinking it would be good to make a friend. Anyone who could be friends with the protagonist Geralt must have reliable character. In the original story, no matter how dangerous the situation, Zoltan always stood side by side with Geralt, fearless of life or death. Moreover, for Kiriman, who aspired to become a legendary Witcher, having dwarven allies would definitely be useful in the future. Establishing such a friendship would also make it easier to interact with dwarves.
“Are you really heading to the city of Vizima, Kiriman?” Zoltan asked. “I heard there’s a plague outbreak there, and many have died.” “Entry and exit to the city are now strictly controlled. You must have a pass issued by someone you know to get through. You’d better be careful.” “But since we’re heading in the same direction for a while, why don’t we travel together? That would save a lot of trouble.”
Zoltan carried a huge backpack, with an axe hanging from his waist that was about the size of his face. However, he was not riding a horse. Dwarves, due to their stature, were not good at riding, but the race generally possessed great strength and endurance. No matter where they went, they traveled on foot at a fairly good pace.
He was curious why Kiriman didn’t carry any luggage. Even the weapons he used before and some equipment and coins confiscated from bandits seemed to have disappeared. Kiriman didn’t offer much explanation, only saying it was a unique magic from his school. However, he didn’t refuse the proposal to travel together with the dwarf. Traveling alone was simply too boring, and having a companion to chat with was a good thing. Although Kiriman had absorbed some memories from Kovirghm, he still needed to accumulate knowledge and experience about the Witcher world through daily life.
The two traveled together for about half a day. Guided by Zoltan, they soon arrived at a small, relatively remote village at the foot of a mountain, roughly a day’s journey from Vizima city. It seemed to be a village dependent on tea planting, hunting, and leatherworking. Even before entering, a faint aroma of tea filled the air.
Kiriman was somewhat surprised that most of the village’s residents were elves, half-elves, and dwarves—non-human races—while the number of human inhabitants was quite small. Although this was not unique, in the current northern environment where non-human races were somewhat hated, such a village was quite dangerous, easily becoming a target for those with ulterior motives.
As they had just entered the village, another group of dwarves quickly approached them. Leading them was a strong middle-aged dwarf with a half-bald head, leaving only a tuft of hair that looked like an animal’s tail. Behind him was a group of young dwarves wearing mismatched armor and weapons but exuding a formidable presence.
Upon meeting Zoltan, the leader warmly greeted him with a chest bump and said in a somewhat hoarse voice, “We’ve been waiting for you a long time, Zoltan.” “I heard you’ve been worried about your wedding dowry recently, so I specially wrote to you about a good business opportunity.” “If this commission is completed, we’ll all get a big sum of money.”
Hearing this, Zoltan laughed heartily, patting the dwarf’s shoulder and saying, “Alpan, my good friend.” “Thank you for thinking of me when there’s good news. I do need money lately.” “You know my father-in-law, Ever Breckenridge, is such a conservative guy.” “He thinks his daughter shouldn’t marry a dwarf like me who left Mahakam, and he’s made many demands.” “I have to prove to him that I have the ability to give Eudora a wealthy life.” “Zoltan Chiva is no weakling. I’m not even afraid of the Nilfgaardian Black Legion. I will prove to Mahakam that I am a dwarf worthy of trust.”Alpan and the dwarves behind him all nodded in deep agreement. They were dwarves who had left the Mahakam Mountains where dwarves lived and blended into human society. They deeply understood the feeling of being rejected as outcasts by their own kind. It was precisely because of this that they were willing to do many dangerous things, hoping that one day, when they achieved enough fame and success, the Mahakam clans would be proud of them.
After exchanging a few words, the topic quickly turned to Kiriman, who was standing to the side. Upon hearing this, Zoltan became angry and shouted loudly, “Damn it, Temeria is way too unsafe now. I had just come down the mountain and was about to spend the night in an inn when I ran into a group of bandits disguised as a shady shop.” “There were six human bandits, each armed. Luckily, I was cautious enough not to eat their food, or else I would have fallen into their trap.”
As he spoke, Zoltan directed everyone’s gaze to Kiriman and enthusiastically introduced him: “Luckily, I met Kiriman. He’s a powerful Witcher who hates evil.” “In less than half a minute, he took down five bandits cleanly and decisively. It was satisfying to watch. I even chopped open the head of one human bastard with my axe.”
Zoltan was a good talker. In just a few simple sentences, he highlighted Kiriman’s strength, causing the other dwarves to look at him with admiration. However, Kiriman was not a modest person. Facing the dwarves’ gaze, he only nodded with a calm expression and a smile, maintaining a composed demeanor. When you are outside, your identity is what you give yourself. Being overly modest will only make others look down on you.
Hearing that Kiriman was a Witcher, Alpan, who had been expressionless, suddenly brightened his eyes. His gaze became much more serious. This bald dwarf was a famous dwarven mercenary in the north, a legendary hunter. He and his team had hunted various dangerous monsters, the most famous being Oakvista, the dragon of Quartz Mountain, a true giant dragon. This update is available on N0v3l.Fiɾe.net
After a moment of contemplation, he spoke to Kiriman: “Thank you for helping my friend, Witcher.” “I’ll arrange a grand feast later as thanks. I guarantee you’ll eat well.” “But I heard your destination is Vizima city.” “If you still have time, I wonder if you’re interested in taking a Witcher commission with a huge reward.”
Commission? Kiriman looked at him, then at the dwarves beside him, and after a second of silence, said, “I’m not in a hurry to go to Vizima.” “Nor would I refuse any commission with a generous reward.” “But before I accept, you have to tell me the details of the commission and the payment I will receive.”
Alpan laughed heartily and waved at Kiriman and Zoltan, saying, “Don’t worry, we’ll eat first.” “This is a dragon hunting commission, with a reward even higher than killing hundreds of water wraiths.”