Novigrad (Part 12)

'I think he will do.' - said Naevis and noticed a slightly uncomfortable gaze from Alan. The later still remembered a look deprived of any morals and integrity from years back. - 'Worrying about me, hubby?'

'No, if you are in control. That guy is bad news.'

'I'm a sorceress and not a weak one. But, thank you for the kind thought.' - she ran her fingers through his long hair, garb into a single ponytail. She really is a dangerous woman with angelic looks. Naevis could play with the emotions and feelings of others using everything at her disposal.

One can think of her as naive and warm maiden, but in reality, she was a cunning person with a strong opinion. The only reason Alan never pushed her away, was sincerity she showed him. It was bordering on blind devotion, that at times scared him, at times gave him the warmth he rarely experienced in his life.

From the corner of the eye, Alan caught the heated gaze of the slave-trader.

"Nice to meet you, my lady. You can call this humble baron as Rostan Fisbern. I'm a well-known businessman and noble of Redania."

"Nice to meet you, baron Fisbern. You can call me Naevis and this is my companion for the evening, Mr Temerin." - she gave hints from the very introduction. First, she didn't give Alan to say a word, showing who is the one making decisions among the duo. Second, she omitted their declared status on purpose.

Although it would have been an undisguised insult to Alan if they were truly married, in their play such an approach was what they planned to do. It was a direct hint for Rostan.

A hint that he could expect intimacy and the outcome depends on today's evening. To be precise on how much he would spend to win her over.

'He bought himself a title in Redania. It seems Rostan didn't waste his years after escape from Flotsam.' - grumbled Alan in their vibe connection and made sure to look uncomfortable and offended outwardly.

Rostan was a merchant and easily read people. But he was too enthralled with Naevis charm to think properly.

'Nowadays it is a common thing. North direly needs war funds and people who can provide money took it as an opportunity to raise their social standing by giving kind donations to the crown.' - said Naevis with some dissatisfaction.

Maybe she wouldn't care if it was some other rich merchant, but Rostan got his wealth from kidnapping and trading her people.

'We chose him as a scapegoat, anyway. Who will be on the other side?'

'Count Gustaff, of course. He is the most temperamental and when drunk won't back down no matter what. Leave this side to me, my dear.' - said Naevis with smoking hot image of herself in the bath.

'Can you cut it out!'

'It was just a prank.' - she showed him her tongue from the corner of her lips and winked. This woman really is a piece of work.

"Oh my, my dear, I forgot a purse in the carriage. Can you fetch it for me?" - Naevis sat near Rostan and showed captivating curves of well-trained thighs, while seductively putting one leg on another.

Even Alan couldn't help but glance at it let alone Rostan who nearly jumped at her. That woman was a fatal attraction.

"Y-Yes..." - Alan made a reluctant look and hanging his head walked out. He noticed that two guards of Rostan followed him and smirked.

'He didn't change at all. Naevis, don't let him touch you.'

'Hehe.' - came a carefree laugh through the telepathy, accompanied by an image of her giving Alan a kiss. - 'My dear hubby, your wish is my command.'

'Oh, please...' - Alan rolled his eyes under the mask and walked out of the booth. He went to the exit, dived into the garden, and after a minute walked out of it alone, leaving two unlucky idiots lying there with broken bones and out of commotion for hours to come.

He then entered the hall again, found a dark corner, and sat there, opening his own bottle of wine.

Spreading his telepathic sense to the count Gustaff, Alan read him for some time and later smirked.

'He is hell-bent to buy the fourteenth lot in the auction.' - he sent Naevis information and stood up, pouring another glass of wine.

"Count Gustaff, I presume." - Alan walked to the lean man. The latter turned to him and looked from top to bottom. What stopped him from brushing a youthful man off was his unusual attire. The newcomer was a foreigner. Aside from that he never saw such perfect materials before and that showed how costly the clothes could be.

Gustaff had a short temper and was arrogant, but not a fool.

"Who might you be?" - he waited for a second, but still held the wine Alan gave him. That was enough to show recognition and trust. Count took a sip of wine and for the first time showed some emotions of surprise on his face. - "That is an excellent wine!"

"Indeed it is. It is from my private collection. Forgive my bluntness, but drinks here were not to my liking." - Alan waved his hand at the corner of the hall where his chosen table was. - "Would you mind accompanying me? A superb wine requires a suitable partner to share it."

"Hoho... of course! Well said! Well said!" - Gustaff aside from wealth and hunting loved drinking, but he wasn't a typical alcoholic. He was a true enophilus.

Alan and Gustaff sat at the corner and enjoyed their own company. Well, the latter enjoyed the former thought count wasn't that great of a man. His thought were shallow and generally, Gustaff behaved arrogantly.

But he still made him drunk, as it will help with their plan.

"Count, if you want, I can gift you some wine from my private collection, but you can taste it yourself, not everyone can enjoy it. Let's say, if you win the item I point out for you, I will acknowledge your prowess and we will be friends. How does it sound?"

"Reasonable! Very reasonable! You are right, my friend. Such wine can't just land in anybody's hands! It will only degrade the price and rarity of it!"

"Of course! Let me tell you. I acknowledged not even ten people in the entire world. That shows how regal this wine is!"

Count Gustaff was enophilus, but more than wine he loved only one thing.

Honor.

He was an individual who seeks any way possible to uplift his pride and be different from others. And what can be more fulfilling than having wine so rare?

"I think a lot number fourteen will suit you well."

"Why do you think so?" - Gustaff slightly sobered. That cunning old man still held some suspicions.

"Didn't you tell me you have iron mine and lumber mills? The thing is, this patch of land had a sizable deposit of iron and coal. If all goes well, you can produce steel in large proportions with little costs." - Gustaff nodded, as this was the same analysis result he thought of. - "So let's make it this lot. If you win, I will acknowledge you and gift twenty bottles of my wine."

This was a win-win offer. He needed this plot of land anyway, so why not? He had a thought that perhaps Mr. Temerin was trying to cheat him to pay more. However, when he thought about twenty bottles of such outstanding wine, he found it strange. The cost of it can go as far as a luxurious manor in the golden district of Novigrad and that was by no means an insignificant sum.

So he agreed readily and continued to get drunk.

'I'm ready, you?'

'He is easy. Too easy. When the time comes, you know what to do.' - Naevis sounded as usual, but there were hints of displeasure in her voice.

'Did he do something?'

'Hmpf. He tried, but why would I let him?' - she answered while feeling accomplished.

'Be ready.' - Alan sent the last thought and looked at the scene where a woman appeared. She was a rare beauty and drew the attention of many people. Her green eyes gazed through the crowd, stopping on Alan for a moment. It was his attire that made her curious, but the lady knew her job well.

Thus auction started.

It was rather boring. Alan wanted to find some magic items, however, they mainly sold some luxury, housing, or lands. There were several lots of weapons, but nothing worth mentioning. All in all, he was rather bored until the designated lot came in play.

It was a plot of land in the eastern part of Temeria.

"Staring bid ten thousand Novigrad crowns."

Gustaff didn't make a move, only observed while the price went up to thirteen thousands.

"Fifteen thousands!" - came a voice from a private booth, and Alan smiled. Looks like Rostan made a move too. Naevis was rather good at manipulating him.

"Sixteen thousands!" - Gustaff said without expression.

"Seventeen!" - immediately the bid rose again.

"Twenty!"

"Twenty one!"

This time Gustaff gave a dissatisfied glance toward a booth.

"Count, maybe we should send you guards to notify about your status to the man?" - suggested Alan and Gustaff momentarily felt his pride being trampled by the unknown bidder. - "Perhaps because we are not in a private booth he thinks he is better than you?"

"He dares!" - count raged. Alcohol did the part and made Gustaff more irrational. He wasn't the one to take it lying down even in a sober state, let alone now. - "Mark, take a couple of my men and go see who it is."

In Novigrad few will dare to act with such audacity, but Gustaff wasn't a regular man. Aside from his connections with wealthiest people, he had a very close relationship with Eternal Flame order. He supported them frequently with money, but wasn't a fanatic believer himself.

'People on the way.'

'Got it. You can start.'

"Server! Where is the restroom?" - the boy of about fifteen, the same age as Ciri should be soon, ran closer to Alan and bowed deeply, ready to serve. - "I will be back soon, Gustaff. If there is any trouble, notify me."

"What are you saying, my friend! How can I, Gustaff, have any trouble? Go and have your time. Just wait for results!" - nobles are a strange bunch. Perhaps if Alan didn't mention it, the count would be very willing to get his help as a gesture of friendship, but after Alan told him that, receiving help meant Gustaff actively asking for it. That was a question of his honor and so he would never mention Alan's existence to uphold it.

"Then I will be back soon to drink a victory glass with you." - Alan followed the boy who showed him to a far corner of the hall where a toilet was.

'And here I thought even shit of nobles will smell like daisies.' - naturally he wasn't that bored to smell all that and even be here. He looked up at the wall and stretched his hand.

After the serious wound, he can't use magic and was left with only physical prowess and mental arts. However, that was enough.

Alan stretched his hand and gave a vibe command to his ring. His hands were immediately covered with metal gloves. Mental push through the vibe made a hidden mechanism to come to motion. A little flying knife with very thin but strong thread shoot out, implanting itself at the wall.

He easily climbed up, using rope dart, and rolled over the edge of the roof.

'I'm on the roof.'

'They are causing a commotion here, no one noticed your absence so far, but you better make it quick. Soon it will degrade to a fight, both are drunk and influential enough for auction organizers to wait instead of implementing direct measures. But it can cause diplomatic scandal.' - despite warning words, her tone was quite cheerful. The young woman enjoyed the show they orchestrated very much.

'Not like Temeria and Redania were best friends. Let it be, they won't go to war with each other, anyway. At most, it will cause some sarcastic remarks between kings during the annual meeting.'

'You know quite much for a witcher. That's what always made me want you even more for myself.'

'Seems like you are drunk too.'

'So what? That doesn't change a fact that I want you, hmpf.' - Alan can see her pouting face through the vibe, as Naevis loosened herself. It was very cute.

'Can you act your age and status?'

'I'm acting my age and status! I'm a twenty-one year old playful and warmhearted elven sorceress!'

'Fine, whatever you say. I got a job to do.'

'You are no fun.' - came laughing reply of sober Naevis on the other side. She was making fun of Alan again, who climbed to the second-floor balcony of remote room. It was a personal study of the organizer under Whoreson Senior. Auction was his major source of income, aside from brothels and casinos.

Here his trusted aid, Isil the Hoof, kept documents about underground financial deals. Especially records of their Arena and its every customer. This was information with genuine power. More than half of the people in the list can face execution if the higher command of the temple knew about it.

They won't kill. They would do the same Dijkstra was planning to do. Blackmail and benefit from it.

Alan opened the door and soundlessly entered the room. It was luxurious, yet rather small, covered in comfortable darkness.

"He left it on the table just like that? Highly suspicious." - Alan took the book and continued to rummage through the desk. It didn't take long to find a hidden compartment with the same looking book.

He checked the contents and found that both books were genuine! It was necessary to use them both to decipher genuine information.

'What a smart ass.'

Aside from the book, there was an intelligence report, which Alan read in a blink of an eye and frowned.

'Dijkstra plays big. I need to hurry and get out of Novigrad. The last thing I need is to be in the middle of the bloody storm he is trying to cause.'

There were several reports of Whoreson Senior gang about assaults from Crownsplitters, who vehemently denied it, pointing out at several raided and robbed hideouts in the Bits. Even docks face some unrest with tension raising.

All of this is Dijkstra work under the orders of Redania. It's not a secret how ambitious king Vizimir the Second could be when it comes to Novigrad. He long ago wanted it to be part of his country.

But there was one report that caught his attention, as it told about a separate party. That party of about a dozen armed men entered slightly after Alan.

And it was said that one of the henchmen caught a glimpse of a person in charge.

He had a burn across half of his face and sleazy black hair.