ALL NOVEL 231. The Woman in His Mind.
A hunchback, with legs of unequal length, and a face covered in lumps of flesh. She looked like a smaller version of a ghoul with black hair. After being dragged out, the fisherman kicked her stomach, head, and back as if he wanted to kill her. He didn't hold back at all. But it seemed the girl was already used to it.
"Why wasn't it you who was taken away?"
"Ah!"
"Why wasn't it you who was taken away?"
The fisherman cursed loudly.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
The girl screamed miserably, begging for mercy. Although she didn't even know what she had done wrong, and she didn't smell any alcohol on him.
"Bang!"
The fisherman kicked again. But the girl didn't feel intense pain this time. Instead, she heard her father's scream.
"Ah!"
She cautiously opened her eyes.
A handsome man with blue eyes, carrying two swords, stood in front of her. Her father's scream came because he had kicked the blue-eyed man's leg. The young man with blue eyes and two swords coldly glanced at the father, who was clutching his right leg and still howling in pain. He then turned his head, gave the girl a gentle smile, and extended a hand to help her up.
"Eh~"
After carefully observing the girl's appearance, Allen couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He now understood why the fisherman was so eager to use the Law of Surprise to pay off his debt.
Crooked mouth, skewed eyes, protruding lips, combined with a hunchback and uneven legs...
She was practically the Quasimodo described in 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' from his previous life. A dirty, ragged cloth was draped over her, and her exposed skin was covered not only with fresh bruises and wounds but also old scars. And from her reflexive action of protecting her vital organs, it was clear she had been beaten often.
Allen glared angrily at the fisherman.
No matter what, this was still his child!
Even a tiger doesn't eat its own cubs!
How could a father beat his own flesh and blood like this?
And from what he had heard earlier, the girl usually helped with laundry and taking care of the other children in the household.
What a beast!
Allen cursed inwardly.
As someone who was born in an orphanage in his previous life and then reincarnated as an orphan in this one, Allen hated seeing such things. It stirred up a lot of bad memories. The fisherman was still howling. After thinking for a moment, Allen reached into his wallet with his right hand.
"Bang!"
A leather pouch hit the ground.
"There's a hundred orens in here…"
"You wanted to send this girl away, didn't you?"
"I'll take her."
Allen said coldly. Without waiting for the fisherman's agreement, he grabbed the girl's hand and led her out the door. The girl, having just regained her senses after the pain and dizziness, realized that this strange blue-eyed man was about to take her away and began to struggle.
"I don't want to go, Daddy!"
"I don't want to go!"
Caught off guard, Allen's grip on the girl's right hand slipped, and she broke free. The girl, beaten beyond recognition, ran toward the father who had abused her. But her father didn't care about her at all.
The moment the fisherman recovered from his pain, he immediately lunged at the pouch of coins. He shook the delicate pouch, listening to the "clink, clink" of the coins, then eagerly opened it and began counting the orens one by one.
When he saw the girl running toward him, he was so startled that he kicked her back with a heavy blow.
"Get lost!"
"I'm not your father anymore. Now, you belong to this Witcher."
The fisherman, hunched over, grinned obsequiously at Allen while clutching the money pouch tightly, as if afraid he might change his mind.
"Sob—I don't want to go! I don't want to go!" the girl cried, though she no longer dared to approach the fisherman.
"Get lost, you shameful little monster!" The fisherman, seeing her reluctance, was about to approach and kick her again.
But Allen's glare stopped him.
The young Witcher suppressed the urge to draw his sword and kill the fisherman. Looking at the sobbing girl on the ground, he sighed. Magic surged within him. A quick Axii sign, and the girl fell into a deep sleep.
Without caring about the filth, Allen scooped her up with his right arm and placed her on the horse. Then he mounted up and rode toward the village entrance. As he passed Vesemir, he noticed that the old Witcher was about to say something but stopped.
In the end, Vesemir just sighed and mounted his horse as well.
"Safe travels, Witchers!" the fisherman called out, clutching his money pouch as he watched the three of them leave.
Only after the last sound of hooves had disappeared at the end of the alley did the fisherman put away his sycophantic expression and heft the pouch to his ear.
"Clink, clink~"
The sound of metal coins was sweet to the ear.
This was a hundred orens!
In a whole year of fishing, he barely earned ten orens!
"What a fool! Spending so much money on a little monster…"
"Witchers are nothing special after all!"
The fisherman sneered smugly at the end of the alley, feeling no sadness at having lost his own child: "Hehehe… to the tavern, to the tavern…"
"This time, I'll order the most expensive beer!"
-------------------
After leaving the fisherman's village, the ugliness of human nature left Vesemir, Allen, and Mary in silence for a long time. When they finally merged onto the main road leading to Vengerberg, the young Witcher glanced at the sleeping little monster on his horse and suddenly spoke: "Sorry, Master Vesemir."
"I acted impulsively."
"That was your money, to spend however you see fit," Vesemir shook his head and made a joke. "As long as you don't forget the part the master Witcher needs to support the school."
"Of course, tossing a hundred orens…"
"Master Allen, you sure are generous…"
Allen gave a bitter smile at the teasing and shook his head, saying nothing more. He knew that perhaps just a few orens, or maybe even no money at all, would have been enough to take the little monster from the fisherman. But the thought of putting a price on a child's life made him feel uncomfortable.
So he had instinctively tossed the whole pouch.
Of course.
If a hundred orens bought him some peace of mind, Allen could afford it.
After slaying the Griffin and completing a detective contract, Dijkstra had given him twelve hundred orens, and Vesemir had only taken a hundred…
Mary, blushing, had refused to take even a single oren, claiming she hadn't fought. Plus, there was what Ban Ard Academy had gifted him.
Allen now had nearly two thousand orens in total. And that didn't even count the magical materials in his saddlebag, which were worth even more. At this point, Allen was a bit of a rich man. Vesemir, on the other hand, hadn't earned much since they left the mountain. The day of freeing Elsa seemed far away.
Noticing that Allen's gaze was somewhat impolite, Vesemir glanced at the little creature, frowned, and said: "Spending some money to buy her is fine, but have you thought about what to do with her afterward?"
"Kaer Morhen isn't really a place for ordinary children to live…"
Allen pondered for a moment, about to speak. Suddenly, he noticed the little creature lying on the horse's back was breathing somewhat rapidly.
Hmm?
The little creature had woken up. Even though the Axii Sign had been deliberately weakened, she shouldn't have woken up this quickly.
Allen looked curiously at the little creature, pretending to still be asleep. Vesemir and Mary also noticed Allen's unusual behavior. Following his gaze, they looked at the horse's back and then pulled the reins, bringing their horses to a stop.
"If you're awake, you might as well sit up. It can't be comfortable lying like that on the horse's back."
Allen dismounted and patted her raised back. The little creature trembled slightly like a small kitten and obediently dismounted with Allen's help. She then lowered her head silently. Not crying or making a fuss. Seeing this, Allen exchanged a glance with Vesemir and cautiously asked: "Do you know your current situation?"
"My father sold my brother and me to you."
The little creature hunched over, never raising her head, so Allen and the others couldn't see the expression on her face. Upon hearing this, Allen fell silent. Although he too had been born an orphan, he suddenly didn't know what to say next.
If she had cried or made a scene, he could have easily used Axii again, which would've been more convenient. But now, the child was quietly accepting the situation, and it didn't seem right to knock her out with magic.
Moreover...
One couldn't keep her unconscious forever—there had to be some communication at some point. Yet he had been sent to an orphanage at birth and didn't understand what it felt like to be abandoned by family after growing up. Nor did he know how to comfort an adopted child in such circumstances...
So.
He turned, somewhat awkwardly, to Vesemir for help. Vesemir was a seasoned Witcher, having lured plenty of children to the mountain, so he must have been familiar with the process. Unexpectedly, Vesemir noticed his glance and turned his head naturally, starting a conversation with Mary, clearly not wanting to get involved in the situation.
Mary also gave Allen an apologetic smile, indicating her stance, though Allen hadn't expected much from her anyway.
"What now?"
"What should I say?"
"What can I say?"
Allen thought hard.
At that moment, something unexpected happened.
The little creature suddenly spoke.
"I... I can wash... wash clothes, I can... I can cook, and I can take care of children. Please don't separate me from my brother…"
Her voice was hoarse, trembling with fear, and she didn't dare lift her head.
"And..."
"I... I eat very little, just a little leftover food each day…" Seeing the three of them remain silent, the little creature abruptly changed her words. "No... no... every two days, just give me a little food…"
"Please don't separate me from my brother…"
"Please don't separate me from my brother…"
"He... he's the only family I have left…"
It seemed she had heard Vesemir mention separating her from her brother and was desperately trying to persuade them. But throughout the entire conversation.
The little creature never raised her head.
"Why not… take her to Kaer Morhen too?" Mary suggested softly, feeling sympathetic as she looked cautiously at Allen. "There's only me and Lady Vera at the castle; sometimes it's rather inconvenient."
Allen didn't object. So, he looked at Vesemir.
Being stared at by both his juniors, could Vesemir really refuse?
Moreover…
With such a tragic backstory…
Even Allen felt pity, let alone a veteran Witcher who had lived for so long.
"Fine, let's take her too…" Vesemir sighed.
As if to convince himself, he added: "Next time Mary comes down the mountain, Lady Vera will indeed need someone to help out…"
"Thank you!"
"Thank you!"
The little creature still hunched over, her head lowered. But under the bright spring sunlight...
Drip~
Drip~
Her words of gratitude fell along with her crystalline tears, slipping through the strands of her dry, yellowed hair…
Dripping down, one by one. Shattering against the stones below.
Allen sighed again, gently lifting the little creature back onto Carrot's back, then mounted his horse. The little creature wiped away her tears, trying her best not to let them stain the saddle, and then sat quietly, head lowered. So well-behaved... it made one's heart ache.
From Allen's experience, for a child so young to be so adept at reading others' emotions...
The little creature must have endured far more suffering than Allen could even imagine. Sadly, life's hardships seldom care about one's age. They rode on the main road for a long time. Suddenly, Allen realized.
Although he had been calling her "the little creature" in his mind, the girl obviously couldn't have that as her real name.
So.
He asked gently: "I forgot to ask…"
"What is your name?"
The little creature sniffled, and with a hoarse voice, whispered: "Yen…nifer. My name is Yennefer…"
Yennefer?
Allen froze for a moment. There was also a Yennefer in his mind. She was born around 1173, a sorceress from the capital of Vengerberg in Aedirn.
She was one of the five members of the Council of Sorcerers, who governed all mages in the Northern Kingdoms, and after the dissolution of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, she became part of the Lodge of Sorceresses, who manipulated world affairs.
A master of alchemy and potions, she was also famously wealthy in the Witcher world. One could say she had power, wealth, and incredible strength.
Of course.
The main reason Allen remembered her so vividly was that Yennefer was the heroine in 'The Witcher' series, as well as the female lead in the Witcher games.
In both the books and the games, the Witcher protagonist, Geralt, was either searching for Yennefer or searching for Ciri with Yennefer.
She was unforgettable.
Vengerberg, Yennefer, a tragic backstory—these three elements immediately connected in Allen's mind, and with how quickly she had awakened from the Axii Sign's influence…
He instinctively glanced at the hunched, head-lowered little creature. Her yellowed hair was likely due to malnutrition, but her natural color seemed to be black. Thinking back carefully, the little creature's eyes were indeed violet.
Confirmed.
This was definitely the Yennefer from his mind.
Glancing at the little creature again, Allen thought: "This 100 orens was totally worth it!"
....…
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232. Aedirn... Has a Problem!
233: War? War!
234. The Witcher Who Changed the Future.
235. Archgriffin, Give Me Some Points!
236. Set a Small Goal First!