The Witcher: Astartes Of The Bear School

Chapter 39: Aretuza's Stirring

"Hey, give me a room; I need to stay here for a day."

"Sure, sir. One Oren, which includes dinner and breakfast."

"One Oren? You charge in Orens for a night's stay here?!"

At the counter of the Silver Heron, a hooded man seemed taken aback, tilting his head to confirm he hadn't misheard the innkeeper. The burly innkeeper, accustomed to such reactions, remained unfazed.

"Sir, this is the Silver Heron. We're the best in Gors Velen, and we often host mages. You know, no mage would carry loose change in his wallet; they only deal in Orens." The innkeeper couldn't see the upper half of the guest's face, but the twitch at the corner of his mouth was quite visible.

"Oh" Lan thought, the meaning behind the words resonating in his mind. "They cater to the mages, huh? In that case, this price is indeed reasonable! Maybe we should look for another place?"

Truth be told, Lan also wanted to be a mage. Otherwise, he wouldn't have developed the spell-enhancing abilities of the signs so thoroughly. Who wouldn't want to face hordes of enemies, flick their fingers to summon rain of fire, and leave the battlefield spotless?

But the problem was that it just wasn't possible.

As Lan placed a gleaming coin onto the counter, the innkeeper's fingers tightened on the coin, turning white from the effort.

"Hey, look at you! Don't be so stingy; we also can find another place, can't we?"

Lan gritted his teeth at what Mentos said. I want to find another place too, but do you think I'm the kind of person who would storm out of a shop just because I heard the price wasn't to my liking? Damn it! My pride is at stake!

"Shut up, Mentos!"

"Then you promise not to sing on the way!"

The conversation abruptly ended. Lan quickly grabbed his dinner plate from the innkeeper and silently walked toward a dining table in the hall. As if nothing had happened. Just some light-hearted banter, nothing to worry about.

The dinner at the Silver Heron lived up to its reputation in Gors Velen. A mug of beer, freshly fried sea fish, seasoned mashed potatoes, creamy oyster mushroom soup, and a hefty piece of bread made for a satisfying meal.

This city, as the trade hub of Velen, naturally gathered an array of agricultural products and culinary delights. It was perhaps the best meal Lan had enjoyed since arriving in this world. Finally, he was experiencing the local food culture.

As he savored each bite, he focused on the conversations around the inn. It was often said that inns were rich sources of information, right? Lan hadn't expected that a light-hearted eavesdrop would yield some valuable insights.

At a table just behind him, two well-dressed merchants were seated opposite each other, one holding a glass of wine. One had a slightly high-pitched voice, while the other sounded like he had something stuck in his throat. They seemed to be playing cards, as Lan could hear the distinct sound of stiff paper being shuffled on the table.

The high-pitched voice exclaimed, "Aha! With my torrential rain card, all your siege equipment is down to just 1 point!"

The throaty voice replied, "Alright, alright, who knew you'd have so many weather cards in your hand?"

Just as the last word left his mouth, the sound of coins sliding across the wooden table echoed. Lan nearly choked on a piece of bread.

Dammit, are those two big merchants betting so much Orens on a single hand?! The sound of coins was like a dagger to Lan's pride. But the next moment, as the two merchants chatted while shuffling cards, Lan was invigorated by their conversation.

The high-pitched voice asked, "How's your business? Aretuza has closed down, and I remember supplying them daily; that was a big part of your sales."

The throaty voice replied, "Yeah, those sorceresses treat exotic fruits like snacks, but honestly, the closure of Aretuza hasn't impacted my business as much as I thought. I'm still here playing cards with you."

The sharp-voiced merchant laughed, remaining silent for a moment.

"Don't underestimate it! Even if those sorceresses have closed the academy, they still need to eat and relieve themselves. I still deliver my vegetables and fruits to them; it just means I can't fluctuate the prices based on market demand like I used to."

The throaty merchant took a sip of his drink to clear his throat before continuing, "But it's not all bad. The volatility of vegetable prices has lessened. Now, I can sell the cheaper items at the same high prices I used to."

"Do you know…" The sharp voice dropped to a more conspiratorial tone, "the real reason Aretuza closed down?"

Lan perked up, his arm unintentionally knocking over his beer cup. Golden liquid spilled all over the table. He quickly muttered an apology and moved to sit at the table behind them. The two merchants glanced at him warily, but the distance between their tables was enough that they likely wouldn't hear anything. Their voices dropped even lower.

"I heard someone is missing."

"Missing?" The sharp voice sounded surprised. "Is that enough to warrant closing it down? Aren't there plenty of mages who've ruined their own magic due to accidents?"

"This time it's different!" The throaty merchant said, lowering his voice, but Lan could still hear him.

"The current rectoress of Aretuza is a notable figure. She cares deeply about her students, so she went out to look for someone who went missing, but she hasn't been heard from since! The academy suspects someone is targeting them, which is why they decided to close it down."

"The rectoress has gone missing?!" The sharp voice was filled with astonishment. He even had to raise his cup of wine to his lips, pretending to drink to hide his gaping mouth.

"That's Lady Margarita, one of the most powerful sorceresses in the world."

"Who can argue with that? Otherwise, Aretuza wouldn't make such a fuss."

The throaty merchant took a sip as well. Their conversation ended there. Perhaps it was Lan's change of tables that caused the two merchants to become fully engrossed in their card game afterward. Only idle chatter remained.

Lan felt no dissatisfaction with hearing only this much. This matter had little to do with him; it was merely his lingering sense of crisis that drove him to gather more information. A merchant who relied on the academy was drinking and playing cards, while he had no ties to the academy at all—what did he have to worry about?

However, he did gain some insights from their conversation. Lan learned that the Silver Heron had recently acquired a batch of drinks from the Sodden region, called Triple Honey Mead. It was said that three rounds of honey were added during fermentation before it was drawn from the cellar.

Whether it was actually honey or just sugar was beside the point. Lan didn't hesitate to pull out a coin. He filled both of his water skins, even leaving some extra for a taste in his upstairs room.

***

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