Chapter 28
Upon seeing Jaskier, I sat at a secluded table, and truth be told, I was surprised to find him here, especially considering the city's current lack of safety.
As I listened to his story, clearly inspired by Geralt's tales, I closed my eyes. Despite the numerous times Geralt had shared his adventures, I never grew tired of hearing them.
After about 10 minutes, Jaskier finished his story and moved to the bar to get a drink, receiving applause from the crowd. While he drank, I approached him.
His gaze turned towards me, and surprised by my appearance, he uttered the only word that came to mind.
"Geralt?"
"No, rather his apprentice."
"Wait, Geralt took an apprentice?!"
"Yes, as you can see."
"Ahah, bartender, two drinks for me and my friend."
Then Jaskier directed me to a table, placing my equipment beside me. I sat across from Jaskier, who thanked the bartender for bringing the drinks.
"So, tell me everything."
"What do you want to know?"
"Mmh, let's start with your name."
"Aiden."
"Aiden, isn't it? Well, how is Geralt?"
"As always, emitting grunts to say yes and rarely showing emotions."
"Classic Geralt. And tell me, has he mentioned me?"
"Yes, as someone who talks incessantly."
"What?!"
"But someone trustworthy."
"You scared me. I thought our friendship meant nothing to him."
"No, don't worry. But rather, what brings you to this city? You must know it's dangerous at the moment."
Taking a sip, Jaskier looked at me before sighing.
"I know, but I came to lift spirits. It's the least I can do. Look."
He gestured to the surroundings, and seeing people smiling, dancing to the music, I glanced at Jaskier, who had eyes filled with joy and smiled like a child.
"That's why I love my job: making people happy with my stories."
"You know, my dream is to open a tavern and make it one of the best in the world."
"I'm sure you'll succeed."
"You're much better at conversation than Geralt. By the way, what's your relationship?"
Looking at my glass, I swirled it gently before answering.
"Actually, I consider Geralt as a father. He taught me everything about the profession, protected me, supported me during my worst moments, even if I'm not sure if he feels the same, given that he's not someone who talks much."
"Don't worry, knowing Geralt, he considers you important too."
"Well, if you're here, does that mean you hunt the monster?"
"Yes, if you have information, I'd be grateful."
"I'll tell you what I know on one condition."
Frowning at his words, I let him continue.
"I'll tell you if you let me accompany you."
"Jaskier, I'm not going for a stroll, it's dangerous."
"Do you think I don't know that? I'm used to it with Geralt."
"In any case, if I say no, will you follow me?"
"How do you know? You're really like Geralt."
Sighing at his remarks, I couldn't help but hesitate, as I trusted him to protect me, but if I had to protect someone, I wasn't sure. But...
"Fine, but if there are monsters, I want you to stay back."
"The deal is struck. Let's drink to this friendship."
While I watched Jaskier drink, I awaited his information, hoping it would be valuable because I swore...
"In fact, the information I have is very precise because I saw the monster."
"Tell me with every detail, appearance, height, etc."
"It was during an evening; we had finally arrived at Port-Neuve, but as we were looking for a place to perform, we saw guards rushing outside. Being the curious person I am, I sneaked in, and what I saw was incredibly frightening."
"As tall as a tree, the monster had the appearance of a shark, wielding a kind of lance with incredible precision. I can still see it."
Stopping for a few minutes before continuing to speak, I saw Jaskier make a complicated expression.
"The soldiers desperately tried to stop it, with the sole result being defeat. But the worst part was that it could command a pack of wolves like a true alpha. The wolves attacked the soldiers at the right moment, and when the monster saw that there were more and more people, it cried into the air, destabilizing the soldiers, just to see the monster return to the sea and the wolves vanish into the forest. But when it entered the sea, it was followed by sirens or some kind of sea monster."
Then Jaskier looked at me seriously.
"Aiden, I don't know what it is, but if you're tracking it, be prepared for great difficulties."
"Yet, you still want to come."
"Of course, the poet's soul in me senses a wonderful story coming."
Sighing at his nonsense, I said goodbye to Jaskier, taking my equipment, and headed to the room, which consisted of only one bed and a desk. The mattress was at least clean. Placing my equipment beside the bed, I sat down, contemplating what would come next.
Tall, strong, intelligent, and above all...
"This isn't in the bestiary."
Indeed, the bestiary is one of the books to memorize, as it contains all the information about monsters. Not knowing if this monster is listed complicates things.
"Tomorrow, I'll check the places to see if there are any clues, but first, I have to stop by the barracks."
Sighing in annoyance at these unknowns, I continued speaking.
"Great, as a first contract. But as Vesemir would say, a witcher's life is full of changes, and we must get used to them."
Taking my sword, I wiped it before moving on to the arrows. Given the uniqueness of my eyes, I trained with the bow and discovered that I had a real talent. My arrowheads were made of silver against monsters.
Finishing the cleaning, I went to the window with the view of a beautiful sunset. Not lingering on it, I took my alambic before gathering the ingredients. Tonight, I won't sleep because I have to go through the books and make potions to be ready. As Vesemir would say, an ill-equipped witcher is a dead witcher.
The main things I'll prepare are Swallow and Thunderbolt potions to maximize my chances if a fight arises. Unfortunately, I can't prepare oil against a specific monster type if I don't know what kind of monster it is, hoping to find out through the information.
"I would have preferred a werewolf as a first contract."
Sighing at my misfortune, I prepared for a long night.