Chapter 33

Deflect! Deflect!

"I left most of the manticore intact, but I did harvest the poison gland for myself and sadly it is not for sale. I have plans for it." I said apologetically. Which was true since if things went right it was a vital ingredient in helping Leo become a full-fledged Witcher… if he didn't die in the process, of course.

I hope that my great skill in alchemy can improve his base odds but nothing was perfect.

"Oh, and there is no arrangement we can come to that leaves us both leaving satisfied? I have many skills after all. Surely you could find one of them worth the trade." She said with a sultry smile that left me equal parts intrigued and apprehensive.

"It's an honor to meet you, Madam de Tansarville! My name is Ivar Holien of the University of Lan Exeter. I have heard many a tale of your time at court and I see the stories do you no justice! I am sure if you left your lab more often half the country would have fallen to your charms." Ivar intervenes for the win!

"Oh, the university you say? I visited the campus there a few times for research purposes. It's a pleasure to see not one, but two natives of Kovir so far south. A Witcher traveling together with a scholar - it almost sounds like a story!" She laughed at her own jest. "There must be quite the tale around that."

"He hired me to be his guard/guide since he is planning to become a professor based upon his research of various monsters. I keep him alive and fill in gaps in knowledge and correct misconceptions. It's good pay, it's a good service to get real knowledge about monsters out there rather than superstitious nonsense, and I will admit he has grown on me." I explained, using the moment Ivar provided to steel myself. "Look, Lady Tansarville, the poison gland is important as I said… but maybe I can extract some for you to use? Would that be acceptable?" I asked.

"Madam de Tansarville, if you please. And as to your request… very well. I don't believe I need much and a manticore's poison gland should have enough stored within for us to both get what we want. Though, I would not mind continuing our conversation later in a more private setting if you have the time." She smirked. "In fact, I insist."

Ookay. "That… should be possible since we will be here for at least a week. I'll bottle some of the poison and bring it to you later. I do expect payment though, can't let it be known Witchers give anything for free after all."

"I will count on it." she winked at me. "I have procured a room within the faculty quarters. Simply ask around and I am sure people can direct you towards me. Don't keep me waiting, I'm a busy woman with a lot on her plate and I wouldn't like to have to hunt you down later. Good day… forgive me, but I don't believe I got your name." she left the question hanging.

"Markus of Kovir and Poviss, of the School of the Griffin Guild of Witchers." I answered.

"Markus then." She repeated my name, and licked her lips - slowly - as though tasting it.

"I'll be sure to remember it. A good day to you. To you as well Mister Ivar." She said with a slight bow before turning and walking off with way too much sway in her hips.

Goddammit, did every sorceress train in seduction on top of using magic for killer looks? There was no way that figure was natural! I would not be surprised if that was the case but what did that mean for sorcerers? Were they all secretly master gigolos? ...don't tell me they used their magic to enhance their-

"Well, that was bracing," said Ivar. "The stories really don't do her justice."

I looked at him with concern. "Wait. What stories would those be?"

Ivar… blushed. "Ah… I'll tell you later." Uh-oh. "Let's take care of our business first."

"Right, you go do your stuff while I settle horses and get rooms. Will also see about selling off the goods we got. As for Síle… lets hope I can appease her with the venom and move on from there. I'm also buying you your own cap yesterday and praying mine worked. Worst case… I'll be honest. I don't think I have the willpower to stand up to an intimidating, powerful, and attractive woman like that if she is honestly putting the moves on me. Fear kept me back for now, but I don't... man. I've never been in a relationship so have no idea how to handle anyone having an interest in me even if I know logically she has motives. Remind me to tell you details later, it relates to the other 'stories' we talked about that I didn't think would be needed now."

Ivar had the audacity to grin at me. "Don't worry - from what I could see, I think all she wants is to handle you. No work required on your part."

"You do realize I could kill you and make it look like a monster did it, right?" I mock threatened.

Ivar picked up his bag from the cart and hoisted it on one shoulder. "You could, yes, but I know you wouldn't. You know it would break Dogmeat's little doggy heart if something ever happened to Uncle Ivar."

Dogmeat stood up from her nap on the cart at the mention of her name and looked at us. Her tail wagged, and she yapped at me playfully.

Dammit, bastard using my one weakness against me!

"If I'm not back at the inn by morning… pray for me." I said while I got on the cart and headed back to town.

I really hope I didn't run into any other powerful mages anytime soon. One was bad enough.

---

"... and I am also a skilled coiffeuse. I use what I make from that to help purchase books, ingredients, and other curios required in my studies." Felicia Cori explained to me from across the table in the Alchemy Inn.

I mean… she was only a student sorceress. I guess that's a win?

I didn't mean to run into her in the Alchemy. I had stabled the horses and sold off most of the smuggled goods to the various merchants around town, getting a tidy profit I deposited at local Vivaldi's branch, but after getting the rooms I noticed her sitting in the common room and came over since I also knew she was a merchant and thought maybe I could sell off some of the alchemy supplies of which I had a surplus and see what she had to offer.

As someone who still had student debts to pay off back before being mentally transported to this world I understood the desire to work those off, and I doubt that mage academies were as nice as my own lenders.

"I might just take you up on that before I leave. I got a shave back in Novigrad but after the… waxing treatment I left before I could ask for something like that afterwards. Anyway, as a merchant would you be interested in buying up some alchemical ingredients? I got some monster parts as well, including some stuff from a Wight I killed up further north."

"Oh, impressive! I will have to see what you have to offer but I am sure we could make a deal, and would you like to browse my stock in return?"

"I'd be delighted." I said with a smile.

While Felicia was going over my stuff I was going over hers and honestly… a lot of it was redundant to be totally honest, which wasn't her fault but rather that of my own bullshit alchemy skills.

Most of what she had in stock were also alchemical ingredients, a few books on history, monsters, and stuff that I didn't have much interest in, and formulas/diagrams of potions and harder to find ingredients made moot by my own knowledge. Lots of potions and such were not even the best to get since they had side effects not worth taking when arguably there was something better with none, a meta side effect I suppose of Witcher 3's potion system being heavily streamlined compared to the first two games I suppose. I could simply write down notes myself if I honestly wanted to teach people who to recreate them.

She had potion formulas for non-Witchers too of course, but lots of it was a (large) step down compared to my much more potent stuff and usually centered around helping people deal with common ailments and issues. Seriously, she even had a cure for the common cold!

Well… made it more manageable at least and not the death sentence it is in some areas.

Although… the diagrams on bombs/traps and oil formulas would be quite useful since my Dark Alchemy skill was very lacking compared to my Utility one. I made sure to haggle for a bunch of them, nothing too much but just out of respect, along with a few books for light reading for the journey going forward. I could only take so much of Ivar's lectures on the road or university stories.

I also bought alchemical ingredients I was a little short on that weren't the easiest to find and would take time to make myself like essences and such. Sure it wasn't hard for me to create with my skill, but still kinda tedious.

"Thank you very much for your business! This will go a long way to buying the things I need to continue my education." Felicia beamed at me.

"No problem. Studying magic sounds hard enough as it is and you are dealing with costs on top of it. Much simpler for a Witcher. You just go through training from hell for years and hope you don't die at the finish line." I darkly joked as I pocketed my coin and new purchases. "If you don't mind me asking, who is your master? Is it Síle? I had a… run in with her at the academy earlier." I asked even though I knew the answer.

"Oh, no. Lady Síle is much too busy with research and other work to have an apprentice to look after, though she is my temporary caretaker as a favor to my master. My master is the famous Philippa Eilhart. She is not in Oxenfurt presently but rather had business elsewhere to handle. Though with how well-traveled and powerful she is it would be a simple matter for her to portal at any time should she so choose. I imagine we shall meet up eventually when whatever business that called her away is finished and in the meantime I remain her learning and working." she explained.

My first thought is that Philippa was off doing shady Lodge stuff, and chances are high she is, but the knowledge she wasn't here at the moment was a weight off my shoulders.

"I see. Anyhow thank you for your wares and pleasant conversation. However I must go and prepare another transaction with Síle herself. She made it clear that standing her up would likely be bad for my health." I grimaced slightly.

"She can… be like that sometimes. I recommend being as charming as possible since she does not take rejection lightly unless she is the one doing it." was Felicia's helpful advice.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." I muttered.

---

Preparing the manticore poison wasn't all that hard, albeit slightly time consuming since I was carefully extracting a good amount from the gland and putting it in a bottle. Didn't want to get any on my skin.

I still had enough for the Decoctions of the Grasses, assuming of course Vesemir didn't already have things set up for Leo, so I just hope the stupid sexy mage I was giving this too was happy with amount. I had no idea what she planned for it, but it was likely something magic related since while they could use Chaos manually they still made potions, did rituals, and other shit that went right over my head.

Honestly, for all that mages looked down on Signs they seemed much simpler and safer to use while still having lots of utility.

Seeing as Ivar had not returned yet from doing his own things and the sun had already set I suppose it was time to knuckle under and actually do this, whatever may happen.

I returned to the academy and like Síle said I only had to ask around and people told me exactly where in the faculty building she was staying. According to them it was quite nice and with the current professor away on a trip elsewhere Síle had made it her own.

I knocked lightly on the door to her room and not a few moments later she answered, smiling all the while when she caught sight of me.

"I assume you are here because you have what I desire then?" Síle asked with obvious double entendre.

I pulled out the manticore poison and handed it over to her. For a second she lost interest in me and focused solely on the bottle, looking it over for something or another. Maybe she thought I was trying to stiff her or something.

Unfortunately her eyes were right back on me a moment later as she… she put the bottle down her cleavage. Dear god, this woman.

"Freshly extracted and pure, thank you Markus. While not as potent as that derived from an older specimen a young manticore's poison will still be useful in my own works in a variety of ways. Now, it is time I repaid you, do come in so we can discuss it further." She beckoned me into her room.

Oh dear.

"Well, I-" I tried.

Síle laughed. "Oh, my! Is the big, bad, Witcher bashful?!"

"It's just-" Aw fuck it. If this doesn't turn her off to me nothing will. "If this is going where I think this is going you need to know I have never… been intimate with anyone before." There I said it.

Sure there was no shame of that back home, outside of jerks and assholes who liked teasing people about it, but I imagine things were different here.

Síle's jaw dropped. "Oh, my!" She took a moment to visibly correct herself before a positively evil grin spread across her face. "Oh, my." Her eyes darkened.

She grabbed me by the hand and yanked me in with strength I wasn't aware she possessed. It was at that point I surrendered and let happen what was gonna happen before she possibly broke out the chains.

"Don't worry," Síle said as she worked my sword belt. "I'm an excellent teacher." Any potential reply was cut off by a searing kiss and the door closing behind us.

OK, I guess we're doing this after all.

Needless to say I got little sleep that night and didn't leave until well into the next morning. Fortunately, Witcher stamina would mean that I wasn't too tired the next day. Unfortunately, that was the main reason Síle insisted that I stick around all night.

I hope Ivar and Dogmeat don't worry.