System of the Beast Slayer [litrpg Adventure]
Copyright© 1999 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 182
Two days later, outside the royal palace of Cintra.
“Roy, Roy, what are you thinking about?!”
The girl’s small hand waved before the Witcher’s eyes, her lips pouting.
“Sorry, Ciri. I drifted off for a moment.”
“Hmph, you wretch, how dare you ignore me! Grandmother’s about to put me under house arrest. This time I won’t be getting out for a long while.”
Roy smiled, opened his arms to her, then pulled her small body into a firm embrace and spun her around once.
“You little girl, take care of yourself. And stop being so wilful and mischievous. For the time ahead, listen to your grandmother properly. Try to make her happy.” There was meaning beneath the boy’s words.
At that, Ciri’s eyes reddened. She leaned close to Roy’s ear, her warm breath brushing against it. “You have to help me keep Geralt in Cintra. Wait for me to come find you!”
Then she turned to the other Witcher, whose face was as stiff as ever, and ordered, “Geralt, this time you are not allowed to leave me behind again. Don’t run.”
Geralt shook his head. “You’ve ridden two days and two nights. Go back and rest. Mousesack, look after her for me. We’ll drink together next time.”
The druid stroked his graying beard.
“If there is a next time. Take care of yourself, old man. You’re not young anymore, so stop getting yourself cut to pieces. I’ve no wish to collect your corpse.”
“Who can say what comes later?” Geralt gave a self-mocking smile and lifted his eyes to the towering castle.
Even in the dead of night, the palace of Cintra still blazed with light, like a beacon standing in a sea of black mist.
“Farewell, Ciri, Mousesack!”
The Witcher waved with feigned ease, then seized Roy and turned into the darkness.
“G-goodbye, Roy ... goodbye! Geralt ... Geralt!”
“Uwaaah...”
The girl screamed herself hoarse at the backs of the two men. A fierce panic rose in her heart for no reason she could name. Her eyes brimmed red. She had a feeling that after this, it would be a very long time before she saw them again.
...
The two Witchers moved through Cintra’s broad streets of hard blue stone, slipped through several dark alleys, and before long arrived outside a remote, dilapidated dwelling.
Bang, bang, bang...
After the knocking, it was a long while before a slow, dragging set of footsteps approached from afar and stopped at the door.
“Who is it?” a sharp male voice asked impatiently. Being disturbed in the middle of the night had plainly put him in a foul mood.
“When a Drowner comes, you greet it with a sword. When an old friend comes, have you got any wine?” Roy said it with full confidence and flashed Geralt a grin.
Then, in the next instant, his expression froze.
“Sorry, wrong password. Please leave immediately.”
“Have you lost your mind? I remember it perfectly. How could it be wrong? Wait, password? Orin, you bastard, open this door!”
“Hah, relax, don’t get worked up! Did you forget what I told you? A Witcher should have a sense of humor. You’re young and handsome, so don’t learn that stiff old fossil act from Letho and Kael, or how will you charm women later on?”
The door opened, and out came a grinning man. He gave the young Witcher a thorough once-over, then hauled him into a fierce embrace. “Lad, you finally found it in you to come back and visit us old wrecks!”
Then his amber eyes shifted past the young man’s shoulder. “And this one is?”
“I told you, I’d bring back a friend.”
“Good evening, Orin. I’m Geralt of Rivia, Witcher of the School of the Wolf.”
...
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