Wizard: This witcher is neglecting his duties.

Chapter 50 Haunted House

This manual is quite detailed, not only recording the size, location, and price of the houses clearly, but also drawing simple house structures with lines, which is very thoughtful.

As Wayne looked around, he suddenly noticed a house with a very low price tag, about a third of the price of other houses of the same level. It was large and in a very remote location, which suited his taste perfectly.

So he asked:

"Mr. Peter, what's the situation with this house? Why is it so much cheaper than the other houses?"

"Hmm, which place?"

Upon hearing this, Peter looked in the direction Wayne was pointing, then his expression changed, revealing a hint of hesitation.

He looked up and saw that Wayne seemed genuinely interested. After thinking for a moment, he decided not to offend this client, since many people already knew about it and it couldn't be kept secret any longer. So he spoke up:

"Mr. Wayne, to be honest, there are some problems with this house."

"It had been bought by two other people before, but all sorts of accidents always happened during their stays."

"For example, they would have nightmares at night, always tripping over things for no reason, or being injured by falling objects from high places. Eventually, the buyers all came to the city hall to cause trouble, making everyone aware that there was something wrong with the house."

"In order to mitigate the negative impact of this incident, the city hall reclaimed the house and hopes to sell it at a low price."

As he spoke, Peter glanced at his expression and added:

"Of course, as a price to pay, the buyer must sign a contract with the city hall and cannot back out after the purchase."

Upon hearing Peter's description, Wayne's first thought was that it was the work of ghosts, earth spirits, or curses.

Of course, there are countless monsters in this world, as well as all sorts of ghosts and demons, which even a witcher cannot recognize. There may be other reasons for this.

However, if it's just a minor problem, he can easily solve it with his demon hunter skills. This way, he can not only save a lot of money but also get his ideal house, killing two birds with one stone.

Although the brochure listed the house as costing only two thousand orens, Wayne decided to investigate it discreetly first, just to be safe, before deciding whether to complete the transaction.

He then exchanged information with Political Officer Peter about other houses, but most of them were expensive and not cost-effective.

These newly built houses were prepared for wealthy merchants, nobles, or powerful people. They were mostly spacious and luxuriously decorated, and were not affordable for ordinary people.

Peter was also eager to achieve results. Seeing that Wayne's demeanor was not like that of ordinary people and that he seemed to have plenty of money, Peter was so patient in explaining so much to him.

"That's all for today. Thank you, Mr. Peter, for explaining it to me in such detail."

"I will think about it carefully in the next couple of days. After I make a decision, I will come to the city hall to find you. At that time, I would appreciate it if Mr. Peter could personally help us with the procedures."

There are several political appointees in the city hall, and the sales performance is credited to whoever sells the houses and land.

Seeing that Wayne was so cooperative, Peter nodded in satisfaction and very kindly escorted him to the entrance of the city hall.

Seeing Wayne chatting happily with the city hall officials, the two guards at the door didn't dare to make things difficult for him anymore and obediently returned his weapon.

Having retrieved his steel sword, Wayne glanced at the sky. It was almost time to meet Geralt. Instead of wandering around, he strolled about the streets near the town hall.

After waiting for about half an hour, he finally saw Geralt and Dandelion, both looking drunk, walking towards him with their arms around each other's shoulders, followed by the mare Carrot and the little donkey.

Judging from their appearance, I don't know if they went to a tavern for drinks or were drinking with women.

After the three met, Dandelion chuckled, mysteriously took Wayne's arm, and whispered:

"Hey Wayne, you really missed out by not coming with us."

"We first went to a tavern for drinks, and later met a noble baron while playing Gwent."

"He lost to Geralt at cards, losing over a hundred orens, and then bet us to go to a private club."

"It's called the Queen of the Night. The girls there, oh my! They're all stunning. Their figures and beauty are things you rarely see outside."

"However, the prices inside are too high. In just one afternoon, we spent at least two hundred orens."

Two hundred Oren, that's one-tenth of a house.

Wayne was speechless. Dandelion was such a bad friend. In just one afternoon, he had spent almost all of Geralt's hard-earned earnings.

Seeing Geralt's lingering, unsatisfied expression, Wayne didn't know what to say.

They both felt that as long as it was worth it, that was enough; living in the moment is also a lifestyle choice.

As for the Queen of the Night, Wayne, who had played the game, knew very well that the owner of this brothel was Geralt's future friend and Regis's former lover, who was also a high-ranking vampire. Many of the girls in the Queen of the Night were also vampires with the ability to charm humans, which explained why Dandelion was so obsessed with her.

After a brief chat, Wayne took the two of them to Old York's Fox Tavern, where they had dinner at his inn.

The food they ate was a large wild boar brought back from an abandoned farm. Wayne specially cooked a hot pot and barbecue feast with a large amount of wild boar meat.

He invited everyone he knew to come and enjoy the meal. Everyone ate with gusto, their mouths greasy and they exclaimed how delicious it was. He even specially invited the skinny boy, Alex.

He planned to observe this orphan who had lost his family and see what his character was like. If the child understood what gratitude and loyalty meant, Wayne would put some effort into nurturing him.

After dinner, while the group was chatting, Wayne told Geralt about his decision.

"Geralt, I plan to stay in Vizima this year to take on commissions, and then return to Kaer Morhen in the winter."

Geralt, who had been quite drunk, was taken aback by these words. A look of confusion crossed his face, and he asked:

"Why did you make this decision, Wayne?"

Wayne remained calm and rational, saying:

"There is so much for me to learn, Geralt, so I want to begin my training in Vizima, a relatively safe place with many commissions and dealing with all sorts of people."

"Here, I can not only hone my various abilities as a witcher, but also learn how to survive in this world and how to get along with people of all races."

Geralt nodded upon hearing this, then silently picked up his glass and took another sip of the strong liquor.

To be honest, he would rather have Wayne follow him around to carry out those witch-hunting quests in the countryside and wilderness than have the young apprentice stay in a complicated place like Vizima.

However, after spending the last two or three years together, Geralt realized that Wayne was a rational and intelligent young man who always had his own plans, and whose fighting prowess was no less than that of an average witcher.

As a companion, he couldn't interfere too much in Wayne's life, nor could he treat Wayne as a sixteen or seventeen-year-old child.

There was a silence at the table for about a minute, just as Dandelion was about to tell a few jokes to ease the tension.

Geralt let out a soft breath and said:

"Alright, since you've made up your mind, Wayne, do as you see fit."

"I'll stay here for a month or two, and once I'm sure you can adapt to life here, I'll leave and look for commissions elsewhere."

(End of this chapter)