Chapter #67

While Merlin's intervention was annoying it still dispelled the sadness welling up inside Zeno's heart.

He managed to recover quickly and went back to Jean who was watching him with dispassionate eyes.

His passengers went back to their caves to watch some anime since there wasn't anything interesting going on.

"I have problems that need solving." Zeno said to Jean since he didn't have anyone else to talk with.

"..." Jean.

"You know, you really should be able to talk at this point. So I am just going to assume you're being rude on purpose." Zeno said sadly and mounted her before Jean took off.

Goldlight, which is supported by Nanotechnology, should have made Jean smart as an adult human and given her the means of communication but the mare kept silent so far.

Feeling a bit sad for not getting an answer, Zeno decided to sing another song. He had discovered this one while looking at Akatsuki no Yona AMVs and it kinda stuck with him.

"The child without a name grew up to be the hand.

To watch you, to shield you or kill on demand.

The choice he'd made he could not comprehend.

His blood a grim secret they had to command..."

"I wonder which one of us is the Witcher here?" Zeno wondered out loud after not getting a reaction out of Jean even after signing.

"Just stop the angst around me for god's sake. I am just a horse that suddenly has to think more than just what to eat. What do you expect from me?" Jean complained.

"...Sorry?" Zeno didn't know what to say.

"Accepted, if you want someone to talk with, get a squirrel or something." Jean said, her head pointing towards a tree.

On the branch of the tree sat a squirrel watching them intently, it seemed that it got attracted to Zeno's singing and stuck around.

It was all too similar to Ao from his memories that Zeno actually stopped to take it with him.

"Hey kiddo, want to be a monster slayer?" Zeno asked with a smile.

"..." Jean.

The squirrel shook it's head, Zeno understood that it was bargaining.

"There will be many acorns in it for you." Zeno sighed as the squirrel jumped on his shoulder nodding at him with clear interest.

"I don't know why but I felt like calling for guards." Jean sighed.

_______

Zeno continued on the forest trail, their new addition to their group Ao the Second, sitting on his shoulder gobbling down acorns.

Zeno didn't mind it since Ao was being infected with Goldlight, he was doing it slowly due to their traveling the process made him hungry.

Still, Zeno was dissatisfied. He could only communicate with Ao on an instinctual level and not through proper speech.

Zeno made a hand sign resulting in a small explosion on his hand. "Fuck! Creating Signs myself is such a bothersome thing." He cursed.

Zeno wanted to make a sign he saw from a witcher fanfiction that would allow him to communicate with animals.

He knew that he didn't need it since he has basic communication but Zeno figured such a sign would be a massive help to his brothers.

Zeno even planned on making a squirrel intelligence service from the Gamer Emblem Awakening fanfiction....(AN: It is very enjoyable and I didn't even play Fire Emblem games! 10/10 would recommend)

'Hold up! Those squirrels were suspicious as hell. They might just be multiversal!' Zeno thought as he looked towards Ao.

Ao sensing his gaze stopped eating and looked at Zeno as well. After a bit of staring Ao raised his paw and Zeno gave him a fist bump.

[You have gained "Animal Tongue''] A voice announced robotically.

It was the replacement AI, System left in his place whenever he watches anime.

"You have to pay for information, the clan doesn't work for free." Ao answered his unspoken question.

"Well, it works for me. I need the whereabouts of several people carrying the elder blood gene." Zeno answered while Ao made some hand signs before slapping his paw on the ground.

From what Zeno saw he concluded that it was Summoning Jutsu. Another squirrel came out of the smoke, he was cosplaying as Harold Finch as it seemed.

"Hey Harold. My guy needs some intel." Ao relayed the information.

"The price is two bags of acorns. Our people will contact you." Harold said before Ao dispelled the summoning jutsu.

"You seemed disappointed?" Ao asked while snaking on an acorn.

"I expected Akatsuki squirrels..." Zeno said with a pout.

"..." Ao.

"..." Jean.

_____

Zeno's travels eventually brought him to Ban Gleán, it was a peaceful town. Owning it's peace the presence of the fortress, guarded by the early version of the Dun Banner, an elite light cavalry brigade in the Kaedwenian Army.

These soldiers all trained and lived in Ban Gleán, providing safety for the town, even the monsters nearby was used to hone their soldiers not leaving anything for Zeno.

So, he wasn't able to find a single Witcher work not even for non-existent monsters that the villagers come up with on their own and Zeno wasn't interested in other menial work.

At the very least Zeno finally arrived at Pontar River, any normal person would take a boat going east towards Vergen but Zeno had Jean.

Jean was still faster than a boat going full sail on a nice windy weather. So Zeno decided to ride alongside the river like usual.

That is until Jean tried to throw him off her back while complaining about her hooves and how they were losing their shine.

"..." Zeno was starting to regret getting a horse.

"It seems we're taking the boat boss." Ao muttered, still eating one acorn after another.

Zeno knew they already finished their stock but Ao kept pulling them out of thin air. Zeno called hax but Ao didn't answer.

He sighed but didn't object, he needed some free time to himself to work on the animal speech sign anyway.

He couldn't work on it while riding, the sign kept exploding on his face and he could speed up Ao's infection since they won't be riding.

So Zeno rode back in the town before heading to the port and getting a ticket for a Vergen boat carrying spices.

Zeno paid double and just told the crew to not bother him unless they're dying before holing up in the small room he was given.

Inside he put Ao to sleep before covering him in biomass, meanwhile Jean had reduced her size to a toy and was galloping around the room.

'First she complained that her hooves were losing their shine, now she's galloping like there's no tomorrow. As I thought I should give her to Geralt.' Zeno decided before he started on his research for Sign creation.

He had some clues since Axii itself somewhat translates into Sign Language from his previous lives, he just needs to try out combinations until something works.

[Brute forcing magic. Like that's not going to go wrong at all...] System retorted.

'Oh, you guys are back?' Zeno asked.

[Your instincts decided to cry in the middle of "A Silent Voice (Koe No Katachi)". We're taking a break.] System said Zeno could hear some slurping noises.

'You guys have snacks there?' Zeno asked, his eyebrows twitching.

[It's a mental plain, of course we have snacks! Anyway I gotta go back, try not to explode while playing with magic.] System said and went back.

'Sure thi...' Zeno couldn't finish as he lost his hand in an explosion.