Chapter 4
Hi everyone, sorry for the long wait. I actually got around halfway done with this chapter in a week but then couldn't make up my mind on who the MC meets next. I kept flip-flopping back and forth. And even when I picked someone, I couldn't decide how to use them. That said, here is the next chapter. I hope you all like it.
Reviews.
berserkfan000, good pick.
Azai Jin Triss I love Triss in game. I've never read the books, so I don't know what she's like. While I like the actress from the Netflix show I don't think they did a good job with her. I am thinking about using her next chapter, but need a book to give her. If you like to give me a few suggestions, please share them.
grudgematch we will see more of the Elf girl and what book she has in later chapters lol.
RoyalTwinFangs lol no please share.
Puff The Magic Cat, I have been thinking about fooling around with some Wuxia cultivation or a bit of One Piece Haki. Downgraded for both, of course. If you have any ideas, please share them.
4ndykun, you're going to get more in this chapter. Mostly because Philippa Eilhart is a scheming bitch. I hope you like what I do with her in this chapter.
The Twilight Trickster: I love the manga, but I didn't want Lin but more an old man who is tired and enjoying his retirement. He is kind of a dick, to be honest, but he can and will be helpful when he can or feels like it. I hope the changes I make are for the better, but also, as I get deeper into the story, things will become harder.
RedDemonEye, I do see him going to other words sooner or later. You see, in my mind, the chapter is both OP and not. He can go anywhere and do anything without fear of dying or losing the bookstore, but in a fight, he can be beaten back at the very least.
End reviews.
Now the last thing, send ideas to me people about books to give out. Anything and everything you can think of. Especially if they can fuck with people like Alice in Wonderland lol. I had a lot of fun writing that part.
On with the story.
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"Hmm?" I wonder to myself as I read a copy of The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien.
What was I wondering, some may ask? I was considering whether I owed Philippa anything for the services she had provided to me so far. True, I gave her a book that would help her change forms easier and beyond, but was that enough for what she had done for me? I like to think of myself as an intelligent person, but the fact is that I often forget many things. Or stop paying attention to things.
Case in point: I have been in this world for several years now. How many years? I wasn't entirely sure, as I hadn't kept up with the dates and constantly forgot to check them when I told myself I would. All in favor of doing things I thought mattered, like reading my books or teaching others how to read. I didn't need to know the year to do either of those, so I always set it aside. Telling myself I would find out later. Which was code for No, I wouldn't because I frankly didn't care. Time was an irrelevant concept and something to be concerned about for others, not me.
Still, I was somewhat curious when Philippa showed up one day and mentioned, offhandedly, that Queen Calanthe had given birth to a daughter. Then I tuned them out, and yes, I mean them, as in Philippa and my assistant Toruviel, who started to grope each other shortly after. Which I will grant you was a pleasant sight to see no matter how many times I have seen it. I was a guy, after all, but after the first dozen times, it got easier to look away from, no matter how hot it was. Unless that is, you decide to spy on them while they fuck. Something I could have done, seeing as there was no hiding from my eyes while in this store, but I never did. Mostly because I found the idea of doing so somewhat creepy; it's tempting but still very creepy nonetheless.
This leads me to wonder how close they have become. Toruviel never openly showed affection for Philippa, yet they would quickly head to her bedroom whenever she arrived. Was it love? Were they in love? Shaking my head, I put the thought out of my mind and drifted to the topic at hand.
Thanks to Philippa's information, I now know the date was 1236, about 16 or 17 years before the birth of Ciri. I recalled this due to my ability to remember dates. Ask me the date of any historical event, real or fictional, and I will likely remember it. But if you ask me what year it is, I am hopelessly lost.
This information didn't mean much to me. Being neither a fan of the books, games, or TV shows, I had little desire to interfere with how the story went. While Ciri's life was a tragedy and hard, I had been in this world long enough to realize she didn't have it too badly compared to others. There was also my time in Vietnam, where I saw kids firebombed and watched as their skin peeled off their bones and lost all they loved in mere moments. To say I felt little pity for the girl would be an understatement.
The question was, even though I didn't plan to really do much of anything, would I be allowed to do nothing? Even if Philippa hadn't told me that Queen Calanthe had a child, I knew something significant had occurred. I could feel it in the back of my mind. A ding, if you will, that some important event had just taken place. Something told me it was the hand of destiny at work, and while I was powerful, and the being that brought me here was even more so. I was not so foolish as to think I was more powerful than destiny itself. As for the being that brought me here, that was a question I didn't know the answer to.
So, after thinking about it a bit longer, I came to the conclusion that I didn't owe Philippa anything for this information. That said, I owed her for keeping the knowledge of my current location a secret from her brotherhood. Not that they were a real threat to me. No one was, after all, not even the Wild Hunt. Still, she managed to keep the annoyances to a minimum. This was nice, as it allowed me to do the things I loved the most in peace. And truthfully, peace was a wonderful gift if you knew its value. Something most didn't.
Hearing a knock at the door, I look up and watch a man walk in. Winsis, the local hunter. A good man with strong convictions and a loving father. He acted as one of my spies, who was able to communicate with me because his name was in the Book of Admittance. My own version of the same magical artifact in the Harry Potter books. Except upgraded so that I can keep tabs on those whose names I put in it and speak with via telepathy. Of course, we didn't need to do that because we lived in the same village for the time being.
"Ah, Winsis, my good man, good day to you," I say to the man while standing up.
"Good day, Ceaser," The man says with a smile.
"What brings you here today? Another book to read to your children?" I ask with a smile.
The man was indeed a loving father who cared deeply for his family. He even went so far as to put himself into my service so he could learn to read. All in order to teach his own children whom he wanted to have a better life than his own. While most people saw reading as a useless skill to have for such a small village, he was not one of them. He truly wished for a better life for his children and saw learning to read and write as their way out of this backwater village.
"No, not today, Ceaser. I came to inform you that a Witcher has been spotted nearby." Winsis says.
I raise an eyebrow at this and say, "A Witcher, you say? Way out here. I didn't realize we had a monster problem around on hand."
Shaking his head, Winis says, "Nor I, but word came to me by some other hunters a few villages over that something had been spotted in the nearby forest. It could be that we were just too far away to hear about it."
I nodded at this, for it was true. We were a full day's walk from the nearest village and 2 to 3 days' walk from the nearest town. Not hearing any news of new monster sightings for weeks on end was not unusual at all. In fact, this could be old news by now, and this Witcher could have long been gone.
"Do you know where he was headed?" I ask the man.
"Towards the east woods, I believe," Winsis says.
"Good man," I say, grabbing a coat and heading out for the day. "I must be off then. Winsis, my good man, may I trouble you to stick around for a time and watch the shop—at least till Toruviel and Lady Philippa are done upstairs?"
The way the man's face heats up when I say that is amusing to me. This was just a tiny village in the middle of nowhere where everyone knew everyone else's business. You couldn't hide anything from any here for long. Not that I wished to, as it wasn't my business who Toruviel brought over. That said, I wasn't that happy when my bookstore became known as the house of ill repute. I got over it, however, the moment someone tried to buy Toruviel's services.
"Feel free to eat the snacks I have laid out, and do take care not to touch any of the books while I am away. We all remember what happened to the last person who tried to take one without asking." I say to him, walking out and thinking, ah poor, poor Sabirrin, the village hoodlum. The sheer humiliation the poor boy faced was almost enough for me to feel bad for him.
Pushing my amusement aside, I walk out of the bookstore and say to myself, "Now let's see about this Witcher."
-In Toruviel's Room-
Leaning slightly out the window, Philippa Eilhart stretches out her arms while letting the light, cool breeze run over her naked chest. She honestly had to give it up to the bookstore's own Ceaser and his collection of books. If she were anywhere else in the known world right now, she wouldn't have even entertained the idea of opening a window as she was and leaning out of it. No matter how good the slight breeze outside felt on her naked breaths. Just the thought of letting anyone who just so happened to be passing by see her naked like this was revolting to her. She was not a prude, mind you. Far from it, in fact. She just didn't like the thought of giving the common folk the privilege of looking at one such as her.
But due to the powerful concealment spells inside and outside the store's individual rooms, she could bask in such a small pleasure without worry. As well as enjoy the splendid outfits the books provided her. She thought as she looked in the mirror, which was not far from her, and saw what she had on. A cupless leather corset dyed red and white with gold trimming, long matching gloves, and thigh-high boots. At one point, she also wore a pair of matching skintight knickers, but those had gone missing during her games, and what a fun game she was playing.
She thought as she picked up a cup of wine on a table before sitting down in one of Ceaser's incredibly comfortable chairs. Indeed, the books in this store opened a lot of windows when it came to sexual pleasure. Their ability to provide the reader with not only a change of clothes but also a change of scenery without her having to use her own magic was outstanding. Like right now, for example. She was sitting in a dark and damp dungeon-like room with little light able to come in, even with the window open. While Toruviel was tied to what the book called a Saint Andrew's cross, naked with her eyes covered, a gag in her mouth, and a pair of wicked nipple chains dangling from her chest.
She made quite the image if Philippa said so herself. Poor girl, while she was surprisingly closer in age than Philippa, had thought their sexual experience was as different as night and day. When they met for the first time, even though the girl tried to hide it, Philippa could tell Toruviel was not as upset about the maid outfit she was forced to wear as she pretended to be. No, Toruviel was, in fact, very curious about sex but was unwilling to experiment either with men outside her race or with Caesar himself. Giving Philippa the excuse that she needed to visit the bookstore at her pleasure. After all, few things provide such an easy ground for manipulation than sexual repression.
Once Caesar had given her the book she was learning from, Philippa knew she was not to return until she had finished said book. Something that was unacceptable to her, seeing as going by how long it was taking Yennefer to finish her own book, it would be quite some time till she could return—making seduction of the elf both necessary and pleasurable. Oh, and now, much fun she had bending Toruviel to her will. The girl honestly thought she could match Philippa in sexual prowess at the start. It was highly amusing to watch the naïve girl try, for a time, to get the better of her in the bedroom, but when that lost its appeal. Well, you just had to look at Toruviel now to see who got the bested whom.
That said, Philippa was no fool. She had only bent Toruviel to her will, not broken her. Even tied to the cross as she was. Helpless to Philippa's desires, there was an edge of danger to Toruviel even now. One just needed to look at the elf's body to see why. The ripped muscles and lean body were ideally suited for combat, based solely on speed. Toruviel was a warrior and a dangerous one at that, even before she came to serve in this bookstore. And while Philippa didn't know Toruviel beforehand, she had witnessed the changes to Toruviel's body over the last year since they had started their games. Changes were brought about by the books themselves and the great warriors and mages contained within. Who helped train the elvish warrior into what she is today.
If no bindings were holding her, Philippa had little doubt Toruviel could kill her with her bare hands. That is so long as Philippa herself was unprepared. For she, too, had grown in power over their time together. So long as she was prepared, it would not be such an easy fight for Toruviel. Not that it would ever come to that, however, with the bond they shared now. It may not have been one of love, but it was one of mutual liking that would see Philippa protected from harm—at least from Toruviel. Not from the bookstore itself, which was the real danger. Even now, she could feel it watching her, waiting for Philippa to take their games too far so it could strike her down in the most brutal fashion it could think of. There would be no quick and painless death for Philippa if she tested the rage of the bookstore that she knew for sure.
"There are far more dangerous things in those books than spells, after all," Philippa says to herself. Remembering a mistake that nearly saw her suffer a fate far worse than death.
-Flashback-
Letting out a yawn as she walked down the bookstore's stairs after spending some time with her new lover, Philippa took a moment to feel pride in what she had accomplished. It had taken her a month to do so, but she had finally found a way to stay over a night at the bookstore while the owner was away. Well, not away, as he was upstairs sleeping in his room. But it still allowed her access to the books without the owner's interference.
The moment Philippa saw Toruviel, she knew she had her way in. Unassuming and looking to expand her horizons like all maidens were. Philippa had used a tried-and-true method that had worked for her before. She had seduced the girl with thankless pleasure to the point that one night, Toruviel had asked her to stay the night. Which she gladly accepted, and once Toruviel was asleep, she quietly slipped out of bed—leaving the room without permission even though she had been warned not to by Caesar for some unknown reason.
Thinking that Caesar's warning was only to let her know of his displeasure if she left the room without permission. Philippa had forgotten, or perhaps it was better to say had dismissed, the knowledge that none of the books were mundane. Too busy thinking of the power that was looked inside them to realize the amount of danger she was currently in.
After she makes her way downstairs, she lights the candle she has in her hand and starts scanning the books. Most of the titles she can't read, and those she can, are entirely uninteresting. That is until she comes across one book that calls to her for some reason. It is a white book with a small black symbol on it. She doesn't know why, but there is something about it. Something that captured the eye, and before she knew it or even realized she had taken it off the shelf. She finds herself sitting at a table with the book in front of her.
As a mage, she should have questioned how she had gotten to the table when, just a moment ago, she was standing in front of a bookshelf. But again, foolishly, she did not and instead looked at the book's cover, which featured a circle with an X in the middle. Then she opened it slowly and started to read it. It was a mistake she didn't even realize she was making. That is, until suddenly, she said two words without meaning to: "Slender Man."
Two simple little words that seem to echo out into the darkness. Suddenly, Philippa started to feel dizzy. Her eyes become unfocused, and a red drop falls onto the page she was reading. Reaching forward with one hand, she used a finger to touch the red drop and held it up to her face. Then, spread it between two fingers.
"Blood," She says softly.
Where did this blood come from? She wonders as she goes to stand but has to use her hands to steady herself on the table. Her face hovers over the book, and more drops of blood fall onto the page. Only for it to be sucked in.
"Something is wrong," Philippa says. Realizing suddenly that it was her blood that was dripping onto the pages.
She tries to look away, only to find her eyes not leaving the page, and more blood starts to fall on the pages. The letters on the page, which were once readable, begin to become illegible, and panic starts to set in. It's the book, she realizes. The book was doing this to her. She needed to look away; she needed to look away now.
With great effort, she is able to pull her eyes away from the book and look elsewhere, only for her eyes to fall on the hallway, where she sees a man. No, not a man, a thing looking back at her. It had no face, with unnaturally long limbs, and wore what appeared to be a black outfit.
It started to make its way toward her slowly. Philippa knew right then that she should do something: fight, run, scream, but she couldn't. She was unable to move as it got closer. Her heart was racing, and a cold fear took hold of her as it reached out with one of its long arms. Then, right when it was about to touch her, she heard the sound of a book softly closing, yet at the same time, it sounded louder than thunder.
The thing disappeared, and suddenly, Philippa felt whatever spell she was under lifted. She fell to the ground on all fours. Her limbs shook uncontrollably, and her breathing came in gasps. Philippa even thought she had wet herself in her fear.
Suddenly, a cold voice says to her, "Didn't I warn you not to leave Toruviel's room, Lady Eilhart?"
Looking up at the person who just spoke, Philippa spots the bookstore owner, but it is not him. It was more—far, far more. Its blood-red eyes look down on her like she is nothing—not even a speck of dust in the wind. And behind it is a being of pure darkness with a twisted smile and unending rows of sharp teeth that were to devour her whole.
Philippa is unable to look anymore and turns to face the floor once more, and before she knows it, she throws up what fluids are still left inside her body.
Hearing a sigh from above her, the being that was so far above her says, "I better get the mop. Please see your way back to Toruviel's room, Lady Eilhart."
Then, the greater being walks off towards the darkness from where the lesser being had come.
-End flashback-
Indeed, that night was not one of her better moments. It was, in fact, one of her most shameful moments. For she did not only vomit, but she has pissed and shit herself as well. Unable and unwilling to return to Toruviel's room like that, she had instead headed to the bathroom down the hall to clear up and burn her nightgown. Before returning and going to bed. Not that she slept that night.
Even to this day, the fear she had felt that night had not disappeared, and if she was being honest with herself, she knew it never would. Even now, as she played her games with her lover, she could feel it. Right at the edges of her mind, where it threatened to overwhelm her very being if she ever stepped out of line. It was why Toruviel was in her current position. After that night, Philippa was done with their little games. She needed control, to be in control, especially in this place where she was helpless before the monsters in these books.
Putting down her cup, Philippa slowly stood up and approached Toruviel's helpless form. She made sure her heels clicked loudly on the wooden floors, making Toruviel look up and around. While Toruviel could hear Philippa, the magic of the book they were currently using for their games made the sound echo off the walls from all directions, making it impossible for Toruviel to pinpoint where Philippa was.
Once she is standing in front of Toruviel, Philippa reaches down and softly grabs the chain that is connected to the nipple, claps, and pulls softly on it—earning a moan of discomfort and pleasure from her playmate.
"Tsk, tsk, look at you Trouviel. Moaning like an absolute whore. What would your kin think if they could see their once-proud warrior now? Tied to a cross and submitting to a human of all things. What would they think? What would your king think, for that matter?" Philippa asks while she pulls the chain all the harder.
Making Trouviel moan all the louder in a mix of humiliation and pleasure. Something that Philippa knew Trouviel hated with a passion but loved in the bedroom. If she had dared to bring up her kin like this outside of their games, well, it was safe to say Philippa would be eating her own teeth. If that was, Trouviel was feeling merciful.
"You are such a shame to your people. Whom, by the way, without you have been busy. It's rumored that they've been gathering in the Blue Mountains lately. Not that a slut like you cares about anything but her own pleasure." Philippa says as her free hand slides down Trouviel's stomach towards her cunt. Which was wet with need.
Yet, while Trouviel may not have cared at this moment about what her people were up to. Later on, after the game was over, she would be happy to have heard this news even if she didn't like how it was told to her. Philippa, on the other hand, was not happy with this news at all. She held no hatred towards Elves, but that did not make her any less concerned about them. Strange things were happening in those mountains, which were once a barren wasteland of hard stone and shaped cliffs that now gave way to a lush forest that spanned nearly 100 miles in all directions—seemingly overnight. Rumors were spreading about a new Elven Kingdom located far from the human kingdoms. That welcomed all non-human beings within its borders.
A kingdom that was not at all welcoming towards humans and was protected by the very forest that appeared on it. And while many humans either did not believe or care about these rumors. The elves did so and were starting to flee the human kingdoms, heading towards the mountains. A worrying prospect to her and a few members of the brotherhood. Especially as it was known that Ida Emean app Sivney had left the Brotherhood and returned to the mountains. Along with Francesca Findabair, according to some of her spies.
Two powerful sorceresses were in the same place with access to a book that, according to Trouviel, did not need a mage to use. It was very worrisome, and while the Brotherhood was not yet sounding the alarm, especially as those in power were happy to see their less desirable citizens leave of their own accord. This feeling may not last long when they realize how much of the workforce comprises non-humans. And that the Elvies, after they gain enough power, may not be willing to let the humans keep what was stolen from them in the first place.
Pulling even harder on the chain, Philippa heard the clips snap free from Trouviel's nipples. Making the poor girl scream into the gag as she orgasmed for what was perhaps the 4th or 5th time today.
While smiling at this, Philippa thinks, "Well, there is no point in overthinking this right now. Until the Northern Kingdoms decide to do something, we must wait and see what happens next. One thing was for sure: the world was changing due to the bookstore owner. Even if others did not notice it yet."
Unknown to her, she was not the only one who had these thoughts.
-Elsewhere-
In the woods not far from the bookstore, a lone man is stalking about. An older man with gray hair and a scar over one of his eyes. Eyes that were clearly tired from the long life he had lived. They told tales of both unbelievable tragedy and triumph. His name was Vesemir, a Witcher and the Last Master of Kaer Morhen. Rarely did he ever leave Kaer Morhen nowadays due to his advanced age, which even the Witcher mutagen could only delay for so long. Age had dulled his skill, made him slower than he once was, and while there was no such thing as a retired Witcher, the boys still needed him. So, he stayed in the old fortress. Content on making sure his wolves had a home to come back to during the winters. However, he had little choice but to venture out with the other wolves again.
All due to the head of a monster Berengar had returned with last winter. A monster none of them had ever seen before. According to Berengar, it had the loveliest upper body of a woman, but instead of legs, it had a shake-like bottom. Not unlike that of a Succubus, but far worse. For its face was beyond hideous to look upon. That is if you could look upon it and survive, for its gaze could turn all who looked upon it to stone if one didn't have some immunity to magic. And even then, it was still deadly fast with a bow. Able to borrow into the ground and attack its foe with such swiftness that Berengar had lost an eye to the beast before he could kill it.
A mighty and unknown beast whose head still held enough magic to turn those who gazed upon it into stone, even after dying. Even after months passed, its head was slow to decay. As if refusing to head death's embrace. Now, a new monster would be cause for concern by itself. One that was even more powerful, but it was not the only one found. Slowly, as his boys returned home, they brought news of more monsters they had never seen before. Some were stronger than those they had ever seen before, while others were weaker. However, it was the wolves who didn't return home that told the true story.
Something in the world had changed, which wasn't due to a Conjunction of the Spheres. It was as if the world was forming these beasts from its bosom. The only question was why. Why now, of all time? What had changed to make the world change so? Vesemir was no fool; he knew he couldn't answer this question. He may have been old but was not wise enough to know he didn't have all the answers like some his age pretended to have.
That is why he set out on the Path once more. Mind you, he was not doing so out of the goodness of his heart for the common people but because he could not let the boys face these creatures alone. He would face them with those who were kin to him together, but the question was, would he himself return this winter?
He had heard rumors of a strange beast that had made these woods its home when he was on his way from a village that had a problem with some tiny green monstrosity that he had never seen before. They were weak little things but very clever in their use of traps. If he were some greenhorn who didn't know what they were doing, he could honestly say he would have died in those tunnels they had dug.
Though Vesemir had to wonder if it would have been better to have died in those tunnels than out here in these woods, those green things seemed simple enough. Desiring to kill and eat him from what he could tell and be done with it. Unlike the beast, he thought he was hunting. It had been a long time since he had made a mistake, but even the best and most experienced Witcher was bound to make one sooner or later. He just wished it had been later.
When Vesemir had entered the woods, he immediately picked up the beast's trail, his first clue that something was amiss. He should not have been able to pick up a three-week-old trail so quickly, but he did. His second clue was when the beast itself appeared before him. Vesemir could admit that the beast before him was magnificent in its own way. At least 6 feet long and 250 pounds of black fur and muscle. He could have easily mistaken it for a mountain lion if it were not for its six legs and tentacles.
Thinking it was about to charge him at the time, Vesemir had prepared himself for battle. Only for it to flee from him. Deeper into the dark woods where it would be hard to see for a normal person. It was his third and final warning before he foolishly followed it and was consequently ambushed by the beast. It wounded him badly with its quick movements and sharp claws, but not before Vesemir had cut off one of its tentacles as a reward for its troubles.
Now, here he was, 3 days later, still in the woods, trapped as the beast hunted him. Having grown cautious of him after their little scuffle. Leading the beast and him to a stalemate that would not end till one of them was dead. Sadly, for Vesemir, the one who would most likely die was him. He had realized earlier on. While he was able to stop the bleeding from his wound, he had run out of potions, and his strength was failing.
Having noticed this, the beast had started to become bolder. Launching probing attacks that often ended with either it or Vesemir getting even more wound. Superficial wounds that were no more than cat scratches, but it kept it at bay for a while. That time seemed to have run out, Vesemir thought to himself as he started to fall forward. His wounds had become too much to bear any longer.
The beast roared as it knew its time had come to finish its prayer and lunged forward. Only for a flash of something silver came between it, and it prayed. A high-pitched scream leaves the beast's jaws. Blood splatters everywhere as one of its front legs is cut off. It has little time to realize what has attacked it, for the next thing it feels is cold silver plunging into its head.
As for Vesemir, he saw it all take place: the swiftness of the stranger who had just saved his life, the way he effortlessly swung his sword, and those red eyes that flashed with an evil glint before darkness took him.
"Hmmmm, you're not Geralt," I say to the unconscious form of the old man before me.
"And you are not supposed to be here?" I add as I look down at the displacer beast that lies dead before me.
In the end, I suppose it wasn't surprising that the Witcher I had found wasn't Geralt. There may not have been many left out there in the world, but the chances of me running into Geralt himself were still small. Especially seeing as I wasn't actively searching for him. So, while I was somewhat disappointed that this man wasn't Geralt, it wasn't a total loss. Going by the man's advanced age and overall look, he had to be Vesemir—Geralt's teacher and father figure, from what I could remember.
"Well, old man…." I laugh a bit as I remember my life before I died. "It's your lucky day. I can't very well let you die here now, can I?
I then reached down and picked him up, tossing him over my shoulders with ease. Then, look at the displacer beast. "Hmmm, I wonder if you're good for something? Well, waste not whatnot and all that."
I then grab it as well and head back to my bookstore.
-Later-
With a start, Vesmir wakes up and jumps, or at least tries to jump off the table he was currently lying on. The only thing keeping him from doing either was his wounds, which, thankfully, were starting to heal, and his old age. This results in him falling to the floor more than taking a battle stance.
Hearing the crash, I look up from the chair I was reading from and say, "Oh, you're awake. Good, I was worried you would be sleeping on my table for the rest of the night."
Looking over at where the voice was coming from, Vesmir spots the same man from the forest that had saved him. Only it wasn't the same man. For what he saw in front of him, bathed in moonlight and darkness, wasn't a man but a thing. A thing that was far above him with glowing blood-red eyes like those of a demon from the deepest pits of hell. That, for some reason, was dressed much like a nobleman.
"I have to say, you Witches are truly remarkable people. While not as powerful as a mage, I have to say; if any one of them had gone up against that displacer beast, they would have died. On the other hand, you not only survived but injured it without knowing about its little trick." I say, impressed with the man.
"A what?" Vesmir asks, still out of it but slowly getting back up on his feet.
"A displacer beast, also known as a dirlagraun or omlarcat. They have the unique ability to bend light with their magic. Making them appear either closer or further away from their actual position. A nasty trick if I do say so myself." I say to the man as she slowly stands on unsteady feet.
"I do say are you look tired, old man. Come, have a seat. I will have my assistant bring us some food and drink." I say and pick up a bell and ring it.
The bell, being magical in nature, cannot be ignored inside the bookstore, and while I so hated to take Toruviel away from her, not lover at this time. I required her assistance.
"This may take a while. Please come sit." I say again.
Even though he could not feel his medallion vibrating, Vesmir could tell he was in a place of powerful magic. He didn't know what type of magic it was, but it was powerful and old. Very old, in fact. Yet he felt no danger coming from the thing before him. Even so, he remains cautious as he slowly steps forward.
"A displacer beast? I have never heard of such a thing." Vesmir says to me.
"No, I suppose you wouldn't have, nor should you have. They are not native to this realm nor of any of the realms that opened up during the Conjunction of the Spheres. In which case, I may owe you and many in this world an apology." I say to the man.
With narrowed eyes, Vesmir asks, "What do you mean?
"I am not sure, but I think I may have had a hand in the appearance of these creatures. Tell me, have any other beasts or monsters shown up but no one has ever seen before?" I ask him in a curious tone.
"Before I answer that, I will have you tell me, whoever or whatever you are, why you think you may owe the world an apology," Vesmir says in an aggressive tone of voice.
It was at this moment that I realized I had made a slight mistake, so I stood up and bowed to the man. "Ah, yes, my apologies, my good man." My name is Gaius Julius Caesar, a humble bookstore owner at your service."
Vesmir was unsure what was happening. All the training in the world had not prepared him for dealing with something like this. Still, he stood up and bowed himself, "Vesmir Witcher at your service."
"Wonderful. Now that that is out of the way, let us sit, and I can answer your question," I say and motion for him to sit back down.
When he does, I join him while Trouviel walks in with some tea, wine, and biscuits. Vesmir only gives her a passing glance. Wondering why an elf was here in this place and if she was a prisoner of the being that sat across from him. The thought does not last long; however, when she not-so-gently puts the tray, she is holding the food down with a scowl on her face.
When she walks off, I look at the Vesmir and say, "Please forgive my assistant. She does not like being treated like a common servant."
At least not in this fashion. I think, but keep to myself.
"Yes, I can tell," Vesmir says to me.
"Now, back to your question. The reason I believe I may owe this world an apology is quite simple. Destiny or fate, if you will, does not take kindly to others interfering with it." I say to the man.
"What do you mean?" Vesmir asks.
"To be honest, I am not sure, but I am sure you can agree, my good man, that actions have consequences current?" I ask the man.
Nodding his head, Vesmir can very much agree with that. Though he did not fully understand what this thing was getting at.
"Good, without revealing too much, for the being that governs this world has clearly shown its dislike for my interference. I will tell you this much. I am not supposed to be here, and this has most likely angered this being." I say to him.
These words make Vesmir's mind spin, and he says, "You mean Destiny?"
"That or whatever governs it. I cannot tell you for sure, but it is the only thing I can think of that would have the power to allow a displacer beast to cross over without another Conjunction of the Spheres taking place." I say to the man.
However, as I mentioned to the man, I could not be sure of this. All I knew was that of all the books I had given out so far, none of them contained knowledge of the Forgotten Realms D monsters. It was possible that this could just be Blackie causing trouble, but I had a feeling this had nothing to do with the Outer God.
"You seem unsure about that." Vesmir points out with no fear in his voice. He may not know what it was that sat across from him, but he had already guessed that if it wanted him dead, he would be dead by now.
I nod my head at this and say, "I am, but it is all that I can think of with the current information I have on hand. This is unfortunate, seeing as without all the information, I can't take steps to fix this problem."
"Can't you just leave?" Vesmir asks bluntly.
This makes me laugh a bit, and I say, "If only things were that simple, but sadly, it is far too late for that now. So why don't you tell me, Vesmir, what other manner of beasts have you come across?"
Seeing no point in hiding this information from this thing. Vesmir starts to speak.
With each passing word, I become slightly more concerned, but only slightly. After all, it wasn't really my problem to deal with. That said, having one displacer beast around was bad enough. A pack even worse. A pack led by a pack lord? Ya, that would be a disaster waiting to happen. But to hear that goblins were also here was not good, and from what Vesmir described, they mirrored the ones from the manga Goblin Slayer.
It would have been better if they were the ones from Lord of the Rings. Despite being overall smarter and stronger than those from the manga, the goblins from Lord of the Rings were not able to learn any magic. On the other hand, goblins from Goblin Slayer were fully capable of learning magic. They may have been smaller and less intelligent, but that also meant people tended to dismiss them as a threat. Not realizing the longer a goblin lived, the stronger and smarter it became.
It only got worse, however, with him mentioning the gorgon, which, luckily enough, from what Vesmir had told me, wasn't Medusa herself. If it were, I had a feeling that no amount of magical resistance would protect you from something that turned a titan to stone. I am not referring to the movie Clash of the Titans, but rather the actual story of Perseus using the head of Medusa to turn the Titan Atlas to stone. Nothing for nothing, but Atlas, even while holding up the sky, was still a fucking god of incredible power. This was definitely a problem.
I was all too aware that there were not enough Witchers to battle these new monsters. Even though I was ignoring reading the Witcher books for now, I did read about the events predating the birth of Ciri. So, I was all too aware of what had happened at Kaer Morhen and the lost knowledge on how to create more Witchers. This wasn't good, and while I could ignore it as not my problem because, frankly, it wasn't, no matter what anyone said, I wasn't about to ignore what was happening. After all, I still liked to think of myself as a good person.
"Well, I have to say, Vesmir, that does sound pretty bad. Luckily enough for you, I can help you." I say to the man with a smile.
"Really, how?" Vesmir asks me.
"Well, I'm sure by now you've noticed I'm not human," I say to him.
"I have," he answered me.
"Good, then we can skip explanations and move on," I say and stand, going to my bookshelves.
Pulling a book off one of the shelves, I bring it over to him and set it down. "Here is my gift to you and your order."
"What is it?" Vesmir asks cautiously.
"It is a book," I tease and smile as he glares at me.
"I can see that," Vesmir said with narrowed eyes.
I laugh a bit at the man and say, "Of course you can, which leaves me wondering why you didn't ask."
It only took Vesmir a moment to realize what was happening, as he had done the same thing with his boys when they were younger to teach them a lesson. He never gave them the answer but made them ask the right questions.
"What is the book about?" Vesmir asks.
"The book in your hand has no name, for it is really just a jumble of notes instead of an actual book. But inside those notes lay the instructions on how to create more of your kind." I tell him, and he snaps his head to attention. Not that he wasn't paying attention before, but now I had his undivided attention.
"This contains the knowledge on the Trial of the Grasses?" Vesmir asks in wonderment.
Hating to ruin his hopeful mood, I say, "Unfortunately, no. Although I do have that book in my possession, I am not about to risk lending it to you. Instead, I am giving you this one. Which will allow you to make more, albeit inferior, Witchers compared to you and the rest."
Looking at me suspiciously now, well, he always was. Vesmir asks, "Why won't you give me the actual book instead of this one?"
"For reasons I am sure you have already guessed, your old Vesmir. You know it, and I know it, and with age comes certain wisdom if you are not stupid. I have already told you that I may have accidentally caused these new monsters to appear. Yet you did not attack. Why? Because you're wise. You have already correctly guessed that you are no match for me and that I harbor no ill will towards you. That leaves only one reason left." I say to the man.
"That if something else has indeed allowed these beasts and monsters to cross over, there is no telling what it will do if you give me the actual Trial of the Grasses," Vesmir says.
"That is right. It is best not to test whatever it is that allows this to happen. I don't know about you, but I prefer not to tempt it." I say with a smile.
Again, Vesmir looked at the book, wondering if he took it, would it even do what this thing claimed it would, and if it did, what kind of price would he ultimately pay? Would he be selling his soul to some demon? Did it matter if he did?
Picking up the book, Vesmir heads towards the door, but before he leaves, he says, "I don't care what you are, demon or your attractions. If I find out you are indeed behind this, I will return and kill you."
"You are welcome to try?" I say dismissively as I watch him walk out my store door while Blanky looks on from behind me with a smile.