A Devilish Deal

After discussing a light plan of action for Jutta to execute in Kaer Trolde and giving her a couple of items to keep her safe and well we parted.

I went out to the the port to see If I could get in contact with some traders in route to the city of Novigrad. To my luck it seems that there was what seemed like a merchant ship investigating the small isle where I'm currently at. From what I've found out from talking to a couple of sailors around here, it seems that they're a part of the crew of the kovir iron merchant's ship that capsized three days ago.

Evidently the merchant had already reached Kaer Trolde and the boat on route merely carried an extra shipment of merchandise not the merchant himself. When the storm had occurred and he realized that his ship was behind schedule he personally came to investigate.

They were apparently trying to see if they could recover any of the merchandise that fell overboard near where the ship sank to recoup their losses.

I came up with the plan to approach them while offering to help them recover their merchandise in exchange for transportation to Novigrad. So despite my aversion towards deep diving in the waters of Skellige I found myself dodging drowners while treading water.

Thankfully I have enchanted gear that allows me to breathe underwater.

After wasting two to three hours doing that menial task I started to regret negotiating with them instead of just using mind control.

The only reason I didn't resort to that is because it'd be a boring way to solve the issue. Well, that and the fact that people under those sorts of spells cease to be any good as conversational partners. Seeing as this trips duration will apparently take about a week and then some so I didn't see the good in that.

So now I find myself making merry and drinking with the merchant and the rest of the crew at the main deck of the ship.

"So, Master Witcher, may I inquire what business brings you towards Novigrad?" The merchant asks me trying to light a smoking pipe in his hand.

"Nothing really, I'm just looking for a place to temporarily rest down my sword," I say not even bothering to correct him."I've grown somewhat tired of the path and am thinking putting my other talents to use."

"Other talents?" He asks with an inquisitive demeanor.

"Well, I'm actually a classically trained bard. I can play almost every instrument under the sun proficiently. If that fails I've also played around with the idea of becoming a merchant or maybe just doing both. I have a decent enough head on my shoulders and a good business acumen so I think I'll be fine regardless." I say as I help him light his pipe with my magika.

Seeing me use magic he's surprised for a second but then relaxes and thanks me.

Kovir unlike recent Novigrad has great relations with their magical communities. But as you can never be sure I used this small action as a test to gauge his attitude. I've always been of the mentality of expecting the best but preparing for the worst. As he's under the impression that I'm a witcher I don't want to risk the bother of getting stabbed in my sleep... again.

"Haha. So Master Witcher is skilled as a bard? Have you composed any piece I might've heard?" He asks good naturedly.

"I've never shared any piece of mine with the world before but I can perform one if you so wish." I say in response.

"Of course." He answers.

So I then take out a lute from my inventory and begin to think of what song to perform.

I look around as I tune my lute in search for an idea of what to play and then it comes to me.

🎵🎶~Of all the money I e're I had~

~I spent it in good company~

~And all the harm I've ever done~

~Alas it was done to none but me~

~And all I've done for want of wit~

~To mem'ry now I can't recall~

~So fill to me the parting glass~

~Good night and joy be to you all~🎶🎵

My voice shocked even myself as I started singing. I always install mods centered around revamping the bardic content in skyrim and it's showing. A melodious and captivating sound makes it's way through the ship. Everyone stop what ever it is that they're doing and begin to look toward the area where the merchant and I are sitting.

The first time I ever heard The Parting Glass was when I played assassin's creed black flag as a kid for the first time with my bestfriend. He was an irish lad who at the time kept complaining about how unlike me he couldn't fully enjoy the moment due to bittersweet memories. He had apparently heard the song many times in the past and all of them under not so happy circumstances.

Nevertheless every time I heard it after the fact it just reminded me of better times until a certain event in my life which changed how I viewed it as well.

I don't find it hard infusing emotion into my voice as I go.

🎵🎶~So fill to me the parting glass~

~And drink a heath whate'er befalls~

~So gently rise and softly call~

~Goodnight and joy be to you all~🎶🎵

...

As I finish the song there not a single pair of eyes dry on the ship. I had inadvertently reduced a group of sea fared sailors into blubbering messes.

"That was a wonderful piece master witcher. Thank you for gracefully sharing it with us." The merchant says while drying his tears with a neat handkerchief.

"No, if anyone should be saying thanks is me. As I said I've only performed for myself as a means to stave off boredom. You've not only allowed me to perform my humble piece but are also gracious enough to ferry me towards Novigrad," I say with a smile. "All with not a word of disparagement for a new humble bard such as me." I finish while raising my glass to toast him.

"Of course master witcher." He says while raising his own.

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After that time passed quickly as we soon neared Novigrad.

As I was about to set foot on the dock the merchant handed me a letter of introduction to help me with the little issue of lacking this world's currency. Not really surprising as In the boat I had briefly mentioned that while I possessed numerous amounts raw materials I lacked actual coin.

I had waived it off by mentioning that possessing gold ores and ingots made it easier to exchange for an areas accepted currency as long as you had credibility.

Especially so when someone spends as much time traveling from land to land as a witcher. As a merchant he understood the sentiment and gave me a letter of introduction for one Vimme Vivaldi. Someone who some might recognize as the head of the Vivaldi's bank branch in Novigrad.

So I made my way there before doing anything else.

I have to say though walking through the streets of Novigrad was surreal. I had spent hundreds of hours throughout multiple playthroughs of this game walking through these streets but now I'm actually here. I feel somewhat like a child running through a set piece of their favorite movie in a theme park.

The one difference being that the place is actually way bigger than that portrayed in the game for obvious reasons.

But wanderlust aside, after a bit of directionless walking I finally reached my destination.

"Hello there, tall one, how may I be of service?" The stylishly dressed dwarf asks me.

"Well, short one, I currently find myself awfully in need of coin and only have raw gold in my possession. I was wondering if we could maybe partake in a bit of fair exchange." I say as a toothy grin filled with mirth begins to adorn my face.

"I'm sorry to say but the Vivaldi bank tends to not get involved with Ill gotten gains. On the account of us being a legitimate law abiding establishment." Vimme says letting out a snort.

"Nothing of the sort..." I say proceeding to take out the letter of introduction in my possession.

Vimme looked somewhat doubtful but still took the letter in his hands and slowly read it.

"To think one of our premier clients would offer himself as your guarantor in case of any maldoing," Vimme adds with an incredulous look. "What exactly did you do for someone like that to stick his neck out for you lad?"

"Nothing much, just recovered some of his merchandise and sang him a few songs."

"People do naturally tend to bend over backwards trying to please me. Although if I had to say my otherworldly good looks probably had something to do with it as well." I say with one hand on my chin while tilting my head and pretending to ponder over something deep.

He scoffs at my comment.

"Well then, show it to me" he says while gesturing with his hand.

"I don't think we've gotten that far into our relationship yet. I can't bring it out here in the middle of the square." I say while putting on a shy look on my face.

"THE GOLD LAD!!! I want to inspect the quality of the gold. I'm not some pervert demanding you expose yourself in public." He angrily adds.

"What are you on about? I'm also talking about the gold in my possession. Taking such a high quantity of gold out in public will put a huge target on my back, you dirty minded dwarf." I add with a serious look.

I can almost see the veins in his forehead ready to pop as he holds back a remark.

"Right this way lad." He says while taking a deep breath and escorting us to his office.

"So... how much gold exactly do you hold in your possession. I don't see any bag on your person so it cant in actuality be that much. I need to know exactly how much coin you need." He says taking a seat infront of me behind a really expensive looking wooden desk.

The with a snap of my fingers an entire dragon's hoard worth of gold descended from my inventory into his office.

"How much coin do you have?" I ask while smugly smiling.

Instantly his eyes go incredibly wide as he hurriedly stands and rushes and picks one of the gold ingots in his hands.

He takes out a couple of tools from a pouch at his waste and begins inspecting it.

At first he scrapes a bit of shaving from the top and looks at it with a small magnifying glass. He then proceeds to do a myriad of different test even tasting some of it at one point. Then he looks at me and finally speaks.

"This is pure fucking gold lad." He almost screams while looking at me.

"I know." I responded.

"No, by the looks of it you don't understand the severity of the situation. The sheer amount and quality of the gold present here would only show itself in a fresh vein. Do you happen to own an entire damn gold mine? People would quite literally kill for that sort of information."

"Which is why I didn't want to take it all out at the plaza." I say with a shrug.

"I don't think we have enough gold in the bank for the amount you brought out and by the looks of it you have more where this came from." He says with a pensive look on his face.

"I'm not looking for a one to one exchange. I just need the crowns for now. I'm willing to take a momentary loss if only to not have to deal this this hassle anymore," I say and then continue.

"As I see it this exchange massively leans in your favor. You're getting more gold than your coins are worth. The only problem you would have to deal with is the speed at which you can mint new coins to refill your coffers. So I only ask that you grant me a favor in the future if I'm ever in the need."

Of course he doesn't need to know that even without my inventory due to transmutation spells I could have an infinite supply of gold. Enough so to irrevocably inflate the market and destabilize any kingdom in the continent. I'm just making it so instead of him doing me a favor I'm doing one for him thus changing the current dynamic putting me in a superior position in this exchange.

"Of course I'll make sure that whatever favor I ask of wouldn't put your or Vivaldi's interest at stake. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. Simple as that." I say with a grin as I extend my hand for him to shake.

I see pure recognition in his face. He clearly knows that this was my goal all a long. Yet there's also undeniable greed in his eyes. But After a minute of looking back and forth from my eyes to my hand he takes it.

"It's a deal." He says as he begins to grin as well.

[A/N: Finally reached the halfway point of Yakuza 0, ate some good takeout and am in a good mood. As a celebration I will give you some good slop so... feed, my children.]