I'm not a Witcher anymore.

Chapter 124 How could love bring such vicissitudes?

"Sir, is there really no other way?"

"If you still want my help, that's not impossible. But what can you offer in return?"

Tamara bit her lip.

"We have some money on us, as well as silverware we brought from Crow's Nest. That silverware is quite valuable and can be exchanged for a considerable amount of crowns."

She paused, her tone tinged with difficulty and apology.

"But—we'll need money to live in Novigrad. My mother and I are both women with no skills; if we go there penniless, we might not even be able to survive. So we can't give you all the money and silverware—"

Her voice grew softer and softer until it almost became a murmur.

She knew her request was excessive.

They want the other party to give, but they can't offer the corresponding return.

Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, her eyes lit up.

"Please wait for me a moment."

She helped her mother sit down on the ground, then quickly ran back into the house.

Zoltan walked over to Sieg, glanced at the distracted Anna, and asked in a low voice, "Are you really going to help them?"

"It depends."

Zieg's answer was ambiguous.

Dandelion joined in, a gossipy look on his face, and said in a low voice, "This is really interesting. A runaway wife, a monster in pursuit, a mysterious deal—this is perfect material for a narrative poem."

Zhuo Er gave him a frank look.

"I knew it. While everyone else was running for their lives, you were looking for rhymes."

"How can this be called finding rhymes?" Dandelion said matter-of-factly. "Recording the joys and sorrows of the world and praising the great deeds of heroes is the duty of a bard."

Zieg ignored their banter; he noticed that the man who had eloped with Anna still hadn't come out.

He turned his gaze to Anna.

"The man with you, his name is Evan, right?"

Anna had calmed down a bit by then. She lowered her head and remained silent.

Zig continued, "He looks like an ordinary civilian, someone who has never done any heavy work."

"

He paused, his tone tinged with confusion.

"Philip is still a military leader, with a castle, soldiers, and status. Although he has a bad temper and various flaws, he can at least provide you and your daughter with a stable life and ensure you have enough to eat and wear."

He looked at Anna and asked.

"What exactly makes Evan better than Philip?"

Anna remained silent for a long time before answering, "You wouldn't understand, Your Excellency. Philip—he really is very good to me."

"At least in the beginning, he was really good to me. He would buy me pretty dresses, buy me beautiful jewelry when he saw it at the market, and stay by my bedside all night when I was sick, never leaving my side."

"But then—then he changed. He started drinking heavily, he started having temper tantrums—he was no longer the Philip he used to be."

Zieg sighed.

He knew why Philip had changed.

Several years ago, a rebellion broke out in the Kingdom of Hidalis, an ally of Temeria. King Foltest personally led a large army to rescue Hidalis, and Philip, as the military commander of Velen, naturally had to fulfill the feudal obligations to the king in place of Baron Veserad.

But the war went on and on, and it was during that time that Philip developed an alcoholic disorder.

All I can say is, if only life could be like the first time we met.

"And Evan can write poetry, and he writes it very well."

Zieg remained silent.

Just because a man can write poetry, and writes it well, does that make a woman willing to abandon her husband, her family, her stable life, and even make a deal with an old witch, sacrificing herself and her daughter?

Sieg glanced at Dandelion.

The bard was holding his lute, looking thoughtful, as if pondering some new creative inspiration.

Ok.

Perhaps for some people, poetry and romance are truly more important than bread and safety.

"I understand."

Sieg did not intend to comment on Anna's choice.

He also had no intention of forcibly taking Anna back to the crow's den.

Because he knew that Anna would regret it sooner or later, and would eventually want to go back to Philip.

Of course, another reason is that Anna has already been marked by the old witch. If she is sent back to the crow's nest, she will be captured by the old witch sooner or later and suffer torture like in the original story.

As they were talking, Tamara ran out of the hut.

She was holding something in her hand, clutching it tightly in her palm.

"Sir, please look at this."

She walked quickly to Zig and opened her palm.

It was a small wooden carving.

The wood carving is only the size of a palm and its shape is not complicated. It depicts a person sitting in front of a campfire with his body on fire.

But if you look closely, you'll find that it wasn't he who was set on fire by the campfire, but rather he who set the campfire on fire.

The wood carving is not exquisite; the lines are somewhat rough, and the proportions are not very harmonious. At first glance, it looks ordinary, as if it were made by an ordinary rural craftsman.

The surface of the wood has become smooth due to its age and has a light patina, indicating that it has been handled and rubbed for a long time.

But the moment Zieg saw the wood carving, his pupils suddenly contracted.

"Prompt: A mysterious artifact has been discovered. Absorbing it will unlock a new dungeon world. Absorb now?"

This seemingly unremarkable wood carving is actually a mysterious creation?

Zieg maintained a calm expression on the surface.

"What is this?"

His tone made it sound like he was just asking casually.

Tamara explained earnestly, "This was given to me many years ago by a somewhat eccentric old priest when my father took me to Novigrad."

Her gaze fell on the small wooden carving, her eyes filled with a touch of nostalgia.

"The old priest was wearing a tattered robe and preaching to passersby in the temple square."

"But his sermons were strange; they were full of incomprehensible phrases like 'the linking of the fire,' 'the pus of humanity,' and 'the ring of darkness.'"

"My father said he was crazy, and most people thought so too, but I was young at the time and found what he said very interesting, so I stood there and listened for a while."

She gently stroked the surface of the wood carving.

"The old priest was very happy that someone was willing to listen to him, and after the sermon, he gave me this wooden carving."

He said the wood carving could bring good luck.

After speaking, the young woman looked at Zieg nervously, her eyes filled with a mixture of trepidation and anticipation.

She didn't know the true value of the wood carving; she simply regarded it as a somewhat special souvenir.

In her view, exchanging a small item that "is said to bring good luck" for the safety of her family is a worthwhile trade.

"OK."

Zieg nodded.

"Give me this wood carving, and I'll send you to Novigrad."

Tamara's eyes lit up immediately.

"Really?"

"I keep my word."

Zig reached out and took the small wooden carving.

The moment I held the wood carving, a warm feeling came from my palm, like holding a stone warmed by the sun.

It felt very comfortable, and it made me feel inexplicably at ease.