A fantastical journey across the heavens, beginning with the Witcher.

After two days of enduring wind and rain in the wilderness, the northward team finally arrived at the bustling city of Brug.

Although Brug is just a small country that is subordinate to Sintra, its capital is a top-notch commercial hub. Caravans from the north and south transit and trade here, earning a large amount of transit tax every year. It is quite well-known among the northern countries.

King Vinslav was one of the few rulers who adopted a moderate policy towards non-human races, and he was always tolerant of the dwarf and elf settlements within his territory.

However, top-down government orders could not overcome the prejudices that had been rooted in the people for centuries. The ordinary people of Brug were particularly hostile to the non-human groups around them.

The reasons for this are nothing more than two points.

First, there are deeply ingrained prejudices.

The animosity between humans and non-human races has lasted for centuries and cannot be erased by a few tolerant decrees.

Second, it's a case of hating the house because of its inhabitants.

The western side of Brug is adjacent to the Brochlon Forest, which is the territory of the Tree Spirit Queen Aisna. Previously, due to disputes over the forest's borders, the Tree Spirits and humans had several bloody conflicts, resulting in heavy casualties among the humans. As a result, the people transferred all their hatred for the Tree Spirits onto all non-human races.

Olivia's identity is sensitive. Even though she is just a foreign elf passing through and has no grudges against the local residents, she cannot escape unwarranted hostility and interrogation.

Even before arriving at the city gate, Li De repeatedly instructed her to wrap herself tightly in a dark cloak to conceal her elven features, and the three of them agreed on a unified story:

Olivia and Ciri are a mother and daughter. Their husbands died in the war, and they were on their way to Novigrad to stay with their uncle. Because the journey was long, they hired a witcher to escort them.

Considering that the road ahead was still long, and that it would be too conspicuous for the three of them to ride on one horse, Li De decided to rent a carriage.

The carriage shop's facade wasn't impressive; a few old cart wheels were piled up at the entrance. As soon as you entered, a stench of horse manure, hay, and old wood hit you.

The shop owner, a middle-aged man with a full beard, was leaning over the counter, engrossed in fiddling with his Gwent deck, seemingly playing a game of cards against some enemy.

He was so focused that he didn't even look up when someone came in.

Li De lightly tapped the wooden counter with his finger, interrupting the boss's immersive arrangement of the cards.

"Boss, hire a carriage to go to Novigrad."

The shop owner didn't even look up, waving his hand impatiently and saying dismissively, "No cars available, all booked."

"Business is so good?"

"Niforgard is almost at our doorstep, how could things not be good?"

The boss then slowly raised his head, looked Li De up and down in his witcher outfit, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes, and his tone was laced with a biting, vulgar sarcasm.

"Wealthy families with the means have already hired carriages to flee north. I'm keeping the empty carriages for a very important purpose, not for you poor folks to join in the fun."

"Since the situation is so tense, and everyone is thinking about fleeing north, why don't you run away?"

Li De remained calm and continued to ask.

These words struck a nerve with the boss. He put down the cards, puffed out his chest, and looked confident, even raising his voice a few decibels.

"Because I have a brain! Sintra is known as the Shield of the North; it's not that easy to breach!"

"Moreover, King Foltest of Temeria is already preparing his army, ready to march south to our aid at any moment. At that time, those Nilfgaardian barbarians will be nothing more than straw men, easily blown away!"

"Once the war ends, my carriage and horse trading business will only get better and better!"

As someone who witnessed the fall of Sintra firsthand, Li De knew very well that his boss's hopes had been dashed, but he didn't say it directly.

You can never persuade a gambler who firmly believes "this stock will go up," even if you openly tell him that you have inside information. He will suspect that you are spreading false rumors to cause the public to sell off and then take the opportunity to buy at the bottom.

Li De was pondering how to get the carriage when he saw the Gwent cards that the boss was clutching tightly in his hand. Suddenly, he raised the corners of his lips and made a suggestion that no card player could refuse.

"How about a game of Gwent? If I win, you get me a carriage, and I'll pay the price; if I lose, I'll give you a golden Gwent card."

"Golden Gwent?"

The boss instantly perked up, his previous impatience vanished, his eyes widened, and he immediately declared, "Bring it on! I'm the runner-up of the 13th Tavern Gwent Tournament, Brug Kingdom Division. Let me show you my invincible deck."

……

A few minutes later, the first round ended, and the boss stared at the table with bloodshot eyes.

In his own area, all the cards were spy cards for the Witcher. The only three catapults that could deal damage were all burned by Li De's Wildfire card.

"One more round! I was careless just now!"

The boss was not satisfied and, without waiting for Li De's consent, reshuffled the deck.

They suffered consecutive crushing defeats in the second and third games.

His face went from flushed to pale as he watched the Witcher's increasingly insidious tactics, his lips trembling with rage.

After remaining silent for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, he gritted his teeth, took out paper and pen, and wrote a rental agreement with trembling hands. After sealing it with lacquer, he shoved it hard in front of the Witcher.

"You're something else. I'm not a sore loser. I'll waive the fare, but you'll need to pay a 40-crown deposit. Hiring a driver will cost an extra 5 crowns. When we get to Norwich, take the paperwork to the head office, and they'll refund your deposit..."

Li De took the document, folded it neatly, and put it into his waist pouch. He whistled and said, "Thanks, boss. Let's have another chance to exchange ideas."

The boss forced a smile, letting out a sound that was hard to decipher—a mixture of laughter and tears.

Looking at the deck of cards in his hand, he lost all interest in playing with them and slumped into his chair, sighing.

After leaving the carriage shop, Li De chose a standard carriage with a sidecar.

Olivia lightly leaped onto the carriage, holding onto the shaft, wrapped herself tightly in her cloak, and sat down, letting out a long sigh of relief.

These past two days, I've been jostled around on horseback until my whole body aches, and I've barely had a good night's sleep. Now that I can finally sit down in peace, a wave of exhaustion washes over me.

Ciri climbed onto the train as well, curiously touching the rough interior walls of the carriage.

After the carriage was properly settled, Li De went to purchase a batch of food that could be stored for a long time.

Then they drove the carriage straight to the north gate, through which lay the official road leading to Temuria.

At the north gate, several city guards leaned against the city wall, yawning and looking drowsy.

There were very few pedestrians and caravans coming and going out of the city, and the guards' checks were extremely perfunctory, waving them through after just a glance.

As Li De drove his carriage to the city gate, a sharp-eyed guard recognized the Witcher and immediately straightened up, reaching out to block the carriage's path.

"Halt! Checkpoint at the exit of the city!"

The guard, with a loud and harsh voice, brandished his spear and blocked the carriage.

Several other guards also gathered around, their eyes scanning the carriage with ill intent.

Li Dele reined in the horse, bringing the carriage to a smooth stop, and spoke according to the pre-arranged script.

"There was a mother and daughter in the carriage. They hired me to escort them to Norwich. The carriage was rented from a carriage company."

As he spoke, he reached into his hand and took out the taxi document, handing it to the lead guard.

The lead guard scoffed, showing no interest in reading the documents, his eyes fixed on the closed carriage.

"An ordinary mother and daughter? Who knows if they're hiding Nilfgaard spies inside! The city's been rather turbulent lately. Make them get out of the car; I need to search them myself before I'm at ease!"

This was clearly a deliberate attempt to cause trouble; none of the dozen or so carriages that passed by were searched.

He just wanted to use the Witcher to establish his authority and, incidentally, extort some benefits.

Getting off the bus is out of the question; Olivia's elven identity will only make things worse.

Li De raised his hand and waved it in front of the captain, a barely perceptible flash of white light.

The Yakshi Mudra is the only mantra specifically for the mind; to put it nicely, it calms emotions; to put it bluntly, it's hypnosis.

However, its duration and effect are limited, far from achieving the brainwashing effect seen in some comics.

"There's nothing to investigate. This is just a small token of my appreciation. Please have a drink."

Li De pretended to slip something into the other person's arms.

The guard leader felt dizzy and fell into a semi-conscious state.

When he spoke again, his tone was surprisingly calm, as if all his hostility had been drained away.

"Since you're still sensible, go ahead."

After saying that, he awkwardly stepped aside to make way.

The remaining guards exchanged glances but dared not stop him. Li De drove the carriage quickly through the city gate.