In Novigrad, the "Pearl of the North," the two knights who had completed their mission left Victor's Alchemy Workshop and headed straight for the Kingfisher Inn beside Hierarch Square.
Somewhere along the street came the sound of a lute, followed by bright, carefree laughter as gentle as running water, the delighted cheers of children.
The sound came from a colorful stall that looked as though it had been plucked straight out of a storybook. Its sign read:
"Miracles, amulets, and fishing bait for sale. Overwatch Potion available. Haircuts too."
A notice had also been pasted beside the sign.
...
Apology Notice
Yesterday, while working, I misheard a customer's request and accidentally shaved Mr. L*o completely bald. I hereby offer my formal apologies.
He had, in fact, requested a crew cut. However, as a barber with a conscience, I must once again emphasize that a shaved head is the hairstyle best suited to the shape of his skull.
Felicia Cori
...
Inside Victor's Alchemy Workshop.
"Hiss!"
The moment Angoulême saw the claw marks across Leo's chest, her eyes widened in shock.
The scars looked terrifying, though fortunately the wounds had long since healed.
The bald witcher picked up his beer.
"Since our mysterious prophet is so incredible, why don't you guess what caused these claw marks?"
The words had barely left his mouth when Victor answered.
"Dettlaff van der Eretein."
"Pfffft!"
Leo sprayed out the beer he'd just taken into his mouth and stared at Victor in disarray, his eyes filled with such disbelief that he might as well have been looking at some divine being.
Even Angoulême, who feared practically nothing, shrank back slightly when she heard Dettlaff's name.
Ever since their first encounter at the Corion Estate, she had placed that higher vampire firmly in the category of "people you absolutely do not mess with."
"Is there really any need to be that surprised? Relax, sit down. This is basic prophet stuff."
Victor still stood there with his arms folded, utterly composed. All he lacked was a long wizard's staff to complete the image of an all-knowing sage.
"But there are still plenty of details I don't know, and I'll need you to fill those in. So now, tell me what you know."
Leo drained his beer in several gulps and slammed the mug down.
"Before I start, I want to make one thing clear. I genuinely don't know whether this so-called Beast of Beauclair has anything to do with Dettlaff.
"And everything I'm about to tell you, please don't repeat any of it unless there's absolutely no other choice. If I had any other option, I wouldn't be telling you at all."
"I understand. Dettlaff is your friend. If I hadn't wanted to avoid putting you in an awkward position, I would've asked you about him in front of those two earlier."
Leo drew a deep breath.
"This started several months ago. After we parted ways and I returned to Toussaint, Dettlaff asked me for help.
"He once had a lover, a woman named Rhenawedd.
"According to him, she was a strong and serious woman, but she could also tolerate Dettlaff's childish side. They met in the province of Nazair and spent a wonderful period of time together.
"Then one day, she suddenly disappeared without leaving a trace.
"Dettlaff searched for her like a madman. He's a very simple person. If love fades away, he can rationally accept the other person leaving him.
"But being abandoned without an answer drove him insane. Unfortunately, Rhenawedd understood Dettlaff too well and kept herself hidden so thoroughly that he could never find her."
Victor let out a long sigh.
"Dettlaff asked you to find Rhenawedd?"
"Yes. I owed him a favor because of Sasha, and I didn't think the matter would be particularly difficult. I personally traveled to Nazair to search for clues. It took a considerable amount of time and effort, but eventually I was surprised to discover that the woman's trail led toward Toussaint.
"But by the time I returned to Beauclair, the first Beast murder had already occurred.
"I was preparing to investigate when Dettlaff appeared before me.
"He told me he'd received a threatening letter. His lover, Rhenawedd, had fallen into the hands of dangerous criminals. Those criminals had realized I was tracking them down, so they ordered Dettlaff to drive me away. Otherwise, they would chop off his lover's fingers one by one."
"So those three claw marks are..."
Angoulême murmured softly.
Leo shook his head with a bitter smile.
"I still wanted to try. I told him firmly that I was already close to finding Rhenawedd.
"But he refused to take the risk.
"These three claw marks were his warning. At the time, he could have gutted me without the slightest effort."
Victor picked up a chilled bottle of red wine, Côte-de-Blessure from Pomerol Vineyard, and filled both his own glass and Leo's.
"I waited at a market near the duchy's border for several days. Eventually, news of the second murder arrived, along with knights who had been dispatched in every direction.
"Horace and Guillaume knew me. After speaking with them, I learned they were searching for you, so I guided them here to ask for your help."
The blond witcher lifted his wineglass.
"What exactly do you want my help with?"
"My friend Dettlaff is being blackmailed into killing people for dark criminals and carrying out some hidden purpose of theirs. I want you to rescue Rhenawedd. I swear that both Dettlaff and I will be forever grateful to you."
Victor slowly sipped his wine.
After hearing Leo's explanation, he finally understood why the Beast of Beauclair had appeared several years ahead of schedule.
It was simply because the mastermind had realized someone was tracing their whereabouts and had been forced to put the plan into motion early.
His voice grew low.
"You know something, Leo? You were actually incredibly close to the truth. There was only the thinnest veil left between you and solving the whole case..."
The bald witcher rubbed his head, completely confused.
"The dark criminal is the very person you've been searching for. The one sending threatening letters to Dettlaff is his former lover, Rhenawedd.
"And that deadly truth is exactly why you had to be driven out of the duchy."
Leo's face instantly flushed red, then gradually turned pale.
He knew Dettlaff well enough that he could barely imagine what kind of terrifying rage would erupt if the vampire learned the truth.
"Vic... are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"The answer comes from my prophetic foresight. The murders are unfolding almost exactly as I remember them, and there aren't many people who could manipulate a higher vampire this precisely and effectively. It's difficult to imagine the mastermind being anyone else..."
Thud!
Leo slammed an angry fist into the floor.
"Goddammit! That bitch Rhenawedd! If we tell Dettlaff the truth right now, could we make him come to his senses?"
Victor shook his head.
"It's more complicated than you think. First, we don't have any evidence. Second, we don't know where he is.
"And if Dettlaff is really as devoted as you say, I have absolutely no desire to be the one who tears away the truth in front of him. Gods only know how he'll react when he flies into a rage."
Leo's expression was grim. He picked up his wine and drained the entire glass in several gulps.
Then realization suddenly struck him.
"Vic, if you foresaw that Dettlaff is the one doing the killing, yet you still agreed to take the contract, does that mean you already have a way to solve this?"
"I don't have a way to solve it."
The blond witcher's smile became inscrutable.
"The person who does is Angoulême. To deal with a higher vampire, we'll need another higher vampire."
Leo had no idea what he meant.
Angoulême looked even more bewildered. She herself had no clue what method Victor was supposedly talking about.
Victor rubbed his earlobe.
"Egghead, let's get one thing straight first. Our opponent is a higher vampire. You know better than I do how strong he is. Subduing him peacefully is almost impossible!
"Even with my prophetic abilities, I can't foresee every unexpected development. And without investigating the situation on the ground, I don't even know whether all the necessary conditions will line up.
"So, to put it simply, I understand what you're asking. I'll do everything I can to keep Dettlaff alive.
"But if we're left with no other choice..."
"That's enough for me!"
Leo abruptly stood and bowed deeply from the waist.
//Check out my P@tre0n for 30 extra chapters //[email protected]/Razeil0810