Wizard: This witcher is neglecting his duties.

Chapter 118 The Return Journey

In Wayne's dining room, two Witchers from the Wolf School were enjoying a delicious hot pot made by Wayne.

The rich, flavorful broth, simmering with various fresh and delicious ingredients, combined with a sauce made from a variety of spices and chili sauces, was so delicious that Geralt, who had never eaten hot pot before, couldn't stop eating.

"You've gained weight, Geralt."

"It seems that living with Yennefer is making you very happy."

Geralt shrugged, scooped a large piece of beef from the hot pot with a spoon, and ate it with relish. After finally swallowing it, he smacked his lips with a satisfied smack, then picked up a glass of fine cherry mead and downed it in one gulp, saying meaningfully:

"You must be doing well, Wayne. I see your liquor cabinet is almost full. You must be working hard at night."

"Besides, a lot of nice things have been added to this house. It seems you haven't been idle lately."

"Can you tell me what you've been doing during the six months I've been gone?"

Wayne chuckled. There was nothing to hide about what he had done, so he gave a brief account of some of the missions he had carried out and the monsters he had encountered.

Of course, he gave the most detailed account of Velen's actions, and also recounted how he obtained the precious elven manuscripts and green dragon materials, as well as his acquaintance with George.

"Green Dragon? The evil god Dagon? The Griffin School?"

Geralt was initially displeased to hear that Wayne had participated in Velen's dragon-slaying mission, but his expression turned interested when Wayne explained that he had invited the golden dragon Borch and a witcher from the Griffin School to join the mission.

He had encountered the Griffin School guy more than a decade ago, but that guy was rigid in his work, didn't like to accept payment for his work, and always liked to lecture others, so he wasn't very likable.

Wayne nodded and said:

"Yes, his name is George. He is a skilled swordsman who can use powerful signs. Their former Griffin School fortress was located in the Corviel Mountains."

"However, it seems that their school suffered heavy losses due to an avalanche orchestrated by sorcerers, and it is now almost completely extinct."

Upon hearing this, Geralt's expression turned somewhat silent, and he said in a somber voice:

"George of the Griffin School? That's a famous fellow. He became a Witcher before I was even born. Do you remember that painting we carved on the walls of Kaer Morhen?"

Wayne pondered for a few seconds upon hearing this, then asked in a somewhat strange tone:

"George the Dragon Slayer?"

Geralt nodded and said:

"Yes, that's the mural, the one where the Witcher rides on horseback and, amidst the cheers of the crowd, kills a giant monster."

"This story was quite famous and widely circulated at the time, but the local rulers and residents did not know that the horses the Witcher rode were just for transportation. We did not fight on horseback, and what George killed was not some evil dragon, but just a petrified chicken snake."

Wayne was amused by the joke. He did remember the painting, but when he met George, he didn't realize that George was the main character in the painting.

It can only be said that the life of a Witcher is really very long. Perhaps before you die, your deeds will become legends in other people's mouths, and may even have been passed down for generations.

It's a pity that the glorious era of Witchers has ended, and the current Witchers are living in dire straits, which has given Wayne the idea of ​​reviving the profession.

After discussing George, the two also talked about the evil god Dagon and the underwater city of half-fish people beneath Lake Vigema.

Hearing that this matter involved the goddess of the lake, and that the evil god Dagon's goal was to turn this huge lake into his territory, threatening the safety of the entire Kingdom of Temeria, Geralt agreed without much hesitation.

However, he suggested that this matter be formally carried out next spring. At that time, when they leave Kaer Morhen, they can take all the Wolf School brothers with them, and also invite George from the Griffin School. If four or five Witchers act together, even that evil god Dagon should not be too much of a problem.

Wayne readily agreed to Geralt's suggestion, as it was similar to his original plan, except that he also planned to invite a few more spellcasters to join him.

The two ate, drank, boasted, and bickered until they finished all the ingredients in the hot pot. Geralt then stretched lazily, his expression one of pure bliss.

Perhaps being by Yennefer's side allows Geralt of Rivia to experience the happiness of love, but only with his best friend can he truly relax, be uninhibited, and reveal his undisguised personality.

"It's going to snow soon, so we need to hurry and head to Kaer Mohen."

"If we don't set off soon, the heavy snow will close the mountain passes."

Wayne nodded upon hearing this. They had been down the mountain for nine months, and he missed his teacher, Vesemir, and the other brothers from the Wolf School quite a bit.

Moreover, now that he has money and excellent materials for crafting equipment like dragon skin and dragon bones, he plans to prepare some nice gifts for each of his brothers when he returns this time.

Of course, even if they were to return to Kaermehen, it wouldn't be an immediate matter. It was just a dilapidated castle, and as in previous years, they would need to bring some supplies before setting off.

Unlike Geralt and other solitary Witchers, Wayne also took two days to say goodbye to his friends in Vikimar, telling them that he would return next spring and that they should not worry.

Kayla's reaction was somewhat intense. After all, they had been having fun every few days for the past six months, and suddenly not being able to see each other for several months made the sorceress feel a little uncomfortable.

However, since they were neither lovers nor partners, she had no reason to keep Wayne, so she could only sulk a little and reflect more deeply on their relationship.

A few days later, Wayne and Geralt bought a large amount of supplies and prepared many gifts in the city, filling both of their mounts to the brim.

He entrusted his house to the Lala family, the little earth spirits, for safekeeping, and then set off from Vizima, following the route he had taken to return to Kaer Morhen.

This return journey was different from the one they came by. Without the hindrance of the mission, they moved much faster. Wayne, riding his steed Lucifer, and Geralt arrived at the floating town in just one day.

They didn't stay in the town, but instead found the captain, Blackbeard Wesker, whom Wayne had arranged to meet in advance, at the port.

The captain from Skellige looked exactly the same as when we met him at the beginning of the year—strong and dressed in a gray fur coat, he looked like a black bear walking upright.

The last collaboration went fairly well, and this time Blackbeard Wesker specially reserved two of the best cabins for the two witchers.

Meanwhile, after a year of hard work, Wesker has assembled an even better deck, ready to challenge Wayne in Gwent and wash away the humiliation of his defeat in the first half of the year.

Of course, such an idea was futile. Even though Wayne showed mercy in many places, he still beat Wesker and his crew to a pulp and won a lot of specialties from the Skellige Islands.

Geralt, equally confident, lost dozens of orens to Wesker's masterful card skills, much to the dismay of the renowned White Wolf, which only fueled his passion for studying Kundal card techniques.

After another seven or eight days of sailing, it wasn't until late October that Wayne and Geralt finally set foot on the territory of the Kingdom of Cordwin again.

Upon arriving in this country that left a deep impression on Wayne and which also harbored severe discrimination against non-human races, Wayne immediately thought of Toluviel, whom he had encountered in the elven ruins, and her group of non-human inhabitants.

The two made a promise when they parted that they would reunite when they returned to the north at the end of the year.

Wayne never broke his promises, and since it was still early and the northern kingdoms hadn't yet seen snow, he told Geralt about his desire to travel to the elven ruins.

Geralt hadn't forgotten the place where he learned Gwent, and after a few seconds of consideration, he agreed to Wayne's suggestion.

The two traveled quietly through the Kingdom of Cordwin, avoiding human settlements that discriminated against non-human races. Following the route they had taken at the beginning of the year, they spent several more days before finally arriving at the forest where the elven ruins were located.

As they rode their horses toward the location of the large cave in their memory, before they even got close to the cave entrance, a joyful voice came from a tree not far away.

"Wayne! Is that you?"

As soon as the words were spoken, a beautiful elf girl with a slender figure, wearing an animal skin coat and two black braids jumped down from the tree.

It was Toluviel, whom I hadn't seen for more than half a year.

(Three chapters have been updated, and there will be one more this afternoon, thank you!)

(End of this chapter)