Scent.

—

[Two hours later.]

Looking at the three little bodies that lay in the pit of a grave, Richard couldn't help but feel pain in his heart. These girls were the result of his reckless behavior. When he decided to take the offensive and massacre Radovid's subjects, he knew there would be some casualties from the stray fire. But even with that knowledge, the sequence of his actions still left a deep heartache that would scar his heart for the rest of his life.

Thoughts like "if he had killed the filthy creatures faster," "if he had kept his calm despite the insults," "if he had been able to heal them completely," popped up one after the other. Still, no matter his remorse, the undeniable truth remained that he had failed to save them. This truth made him realize how green he still was in this world filled with darkness. Picking up the shovel, Richard began to bury these children. With each cast of soil, each stroke of earth, each wave of goodbye, he couldn't control his emotions anymore.

Tears flowed as he finished burying these beautiful children after fifteen minutes. Wiping the sorrow from his eyes, he turned back to see the king's subjects ridiculing him behind his back for showing emotion.

"The Butcher of Oxenfurt has emotions. Freak."

"They're just plague-stricken witches. What's there to be sad about?"

"Good that these devil's spawns are dead. Maybe now the Eternal Fire won't abandon us."

Shaking his head and chuckling softly at their quick forgetfulness of the recent massacre, he finally understood the difference between himself and the people of this world. Perhaps because their world had long been invaded by supernatural beings, they had become numb to displays of power. No matter if someone could move a mountain or kill many people, they still faced public scrutiny.

"Witcher, are you finished?"

Even the king, who had a relatively good education, was no different from the rest. He had already reverted to his earlier attitude, forgetting the fear Richard had instilled just thirty minutes ago. And because of that, there might be much bloodshed in the future, either by assassination or direct frontal assault, but for now, the king's presence was still useful. It would take a long time to change the common folk's mindset regarding tyranny.

"Yes. We are ready to depart. And you can free Margarita Laux-Antille now."

—

[Western Gate, Oxenfurt.]

Looking at Margarita in the distance, bound by Dimeritium manacles and shackles with a man-catcher around her neck to control her movements, Richard heard the king's reminder, "Remember our deal, Witcher. The Dimeritium cuffs can only be opened when all of you are already three hours away on your journey."

Nodding silently, Richard walked to the bridge. Drawing the newly acquired sword, he slashed the man-catcher perfectly without harming the sorceress. Seeing all the soldiers ready to draw their swords but stopped by Radovid's gesture, he turned to the coughing Margarita, who reeked of a nauseating smell.

"Come. Your students are safe."

"Cough, cough. Thank you."

Seeing her standing up and walking alongside him with resolute stature despite the torture and humiliation she endured, Richard couldn't help but admire her. If he had received the same treatment—nails, torture, piss, and excrement—he probably would have gone mad and started his vengeance, regardless of who was right or wrong in the entire town of Oxenfurt.

Noticing her bare, bloody feet walking elegantly like a proper sorceress despite the nail injuries, Richard stopped and offered his sandals, "Here."

"Thanks."

With that, they continued walking, but now he was the one whose bare feet touched the coldness of the river stone bridge. After a couple of minutes moving in silence, with the soldiers already retreated back to Oxenfurt, leaving only the caravan and the people on the list, Richard couldn't help but look back at the distant figure of Radovid, who was being whispered to by his advisor.

He guessed that they would go back on their word about the three hours of peace. Deducing that their target was not him but the sorceress with him, with orders to take down as many sorceresses as possible, Richard decided to leave as soon as possible once preparations for departure were complete.

"I want to see where my students Bella, Stella, and Cindy are buried."

"Sure."

Nodding to the rectoress of Aretuza, who had teary eyes, Richard led the way, sparing some time for this. After all, they were her children to begin with.

So, with that, for the first four hours of his life in this world filled with twists and turns, he faced the cruel reality that he had become part of something new. A new reality, a new dimension, a new world. Hopefully, he would be able to maintain his modern rationality amidst all this madness until the day he was buried like the three kids in front of him.

—

[One hour into the journey.]

Looking at Margarita, who was already wearing something new and had a relatively clean body from the makeshift bath in one of the caravans, Richard couldn't help but ask, "I'm just curious. Why are you so calm? Why aren't you asking me to remove your cuffs and collar? I remember seeing you scream in horror when the adept and the student burned their vitality to cast the spell. So I assume it's not because you don't want revenge."

Clenching her fist but maintaining an elegant demeanor, Margarita replied, "Because earlier, I didn't have a chance. No matter what I did, Radovid wouldn't let me or anyone else go. He enjoys torturing the high and mighty sorceresses. So, it's pointless to endure my rage."

Turning to the first new breed of Witcher, Margarita continued, "And for that chance, a chance for us to be free again, I thank you on behalf of crumbling Aretuza. Whatever you desire, I will do my utmost to fulfill."

Seeing her willingness to do anything to ensure the safety of her students, despite her readiness to forsake the dignity of sorceresses, Richard shook his head, "You don't need to do that. I'm just glad to see these kids safe and sound. Though I do wonder if Aretuza could teach me about knowledge related to different worlds or dimensions."

Raising her eyebrows as if she now understood everything from the onset of snow to encounters with mutated beasts and the new breed of Witcher before her, Margarita nodded in agreement and began explaining everything to Richard about different universes: the Elemental Plane, Elder Blood, and finally, the crucial information about the Conjunction of Spheres.

And throughout the explanation, Margarita noticed Richard frowning from time to time, seemingly trying to remember something, but each time a memory surfaced, it slipped through his mind.

"Ultimately, we need to find this Ciri, right?"

"Yes, because I believe the unstable Chaos in the air is caused by our dear darling Ciri."

"Ciri, Ciri. I wonder if I've heard that name before…"

Shaking his head and sighing, since he still couldn't recall anything, or rather, he knew the knowledge but it always eluded him, Richard stood up and looked into the distance. Beyond the trees and behind the caravan trails, many groups of mounted archers were galloping closer and closer. Some carried sacks of explosives, either Dimeritium or Sulfur, to obliterate Richard's company.

Slashing Margarita's cuffs and shackles with his longsword, Richard instructed her, "Tell every coachman to march at full speed."

Peering into Richard's line of sight and unable to see anything beyond snow and dirt, Margarita couldn't help but be curious, "You can see them from this distance?" Knowing Radovid's men would likely betray their agreement.

Nodding, he then jumped and positioned himself in the middle of the road, not expecting the rectoress of Aretuza to assist him in any way. To his surprise, however, the sorceress floated to his side after giving instructions for the caravan to accelerate.

Waving her hand in gestures, Margarita then disrobed like a bare baby. Afterward, she made a series of gestures that submerged herself in a bubbly ball of water. By the time Radovid's men were visible to the naked eye in the distance, Richard beheld the alluring Margarita, now adorned with different attire and aromatized with jasmine and raspberries.

"May I have the honor?"

Breathing in the delectable scent in the air, Richard simply nodded, "Sure."

—