Chapter 165 165: The Dragonborn Arrives at Larvik
The Thousand Sunny was named by Victor Corion. Its meaning was, "Like the sun, to cross the cruel vast sea with calm and joy."
Its designer was Vigi Tordarroch, who chose precious pine from a treasured Skellige tree species known for the greatest strength in the Isles as the material. Under Vigi's supervision, and with the shipwrights of Clan Drummond working together at full speed, the vessel was built in a rush.
Its main features were the lion-shaped figurehead and the exceptionally spacious and comfortable captain's cabin, both of which were configurations Victor had insisted could not be changed.
On the afternoon of the second day after leaving Harviken, the second mate knocked and entered the cabin, reporting to the captain and first mate with an explanation for the "strange phenomenon."
"...What utter nonsense!" After hearing the explanation, Victor set down the letter in his hand and complained irritably. "So the reason the sailors suddenly respect me so much is because, in a fit of fury, I drew my sword and slaughtered more than a hundred pirates!?"
Vigi nodded. "Yes. That's how it is."
"Damn it! How did it turn into that... when you and Angoulême were the ones actually doing the killing? I only severely wounded a little over ten people, and even those ten were finished off by the freed captives taking revenge. From start to finish I was just passing through, and somehow in the end it became me single-handedly cutting down over a hundred?"
Angoulême covered her mouth and snickered. "Pff, pff, Vic, you're amazing. Maybe one day you really will be worth a thousand riders alone, or even invincible against ten thousand... hehe."
"...You little bastard! Do you know who started spreading it in the first place?" The boy's expression was not looking too good. Dandelion had already left the Isles, after all.
Vigi answered very seriously. "Rumor has it, it started with one of the rescued captives, a woman who did not wish to be named..."
Once the rogue finished speaking, he noticed his captain's ugly expression. Believing he understood the boy's feelings, he figured that if he were Vigi and had a legend of martial glory that did not belong to him, he would not be happy either.
"Should I go out and tell the crew to stop talking about it?"
"No need... the true source of the rumor, those rescued people, have already gone home and spread it. There's no catching it now." Rejecting the rogue's suggestion, Victor lowered his head and continued reading the letter.
"I'd better go restrain the sailors anyway. It doesn't matter how outsiders spread it, but people must not think we spread it ourselves." With that, the second mate bowed and left. The captain did not stop him.
Closing the book she had been reading and setting it on the table, Angoulême picked up The Lonely World Guide to Hindarsfjall and opened it. "Compared to the rumors, I'm more concerned about Liss. Everything looks fine now, but it won't be long before she realizes we definitely killed Hammond. When that time comes, will she hold a grudge? You know she's a beautiful woman."
Gazing at Angoulême, Victor's blue eyes remained utterly calm. "Don't be like that. She's just a Skellige woman. The Dragonborn can bear that much risk. Maybe one day she'll let it go, remarry, and become a good mother.
"There have to be some things we insist on. Not for her, for ourselves.
"I used to be a rational and gentle person. I still am. I don't want this cruel world to change me too quickly. I hope I'll still be that way in the future.
"So there are some lines I will not cross.
"When the rogue comes back, he'll probably ask too. Help me translate it into language he can understand. I don't want to say something this embarrassing to a man..."
Blinking, Angoulême nodded with a smile.
The stove was warm and the atmosphere harmonious. Victor lowered his head and continued reading through the documents confiscated from the pirate nest. Most were letters exchanged with slavers in various places, but a few were exceptions, like the one currently in his hand.
Letter Written on Elegant Stationery
Hammond,
I thought I'd made myself clear enough the last time we spoke in person. I don't want to remain in contact with you, and I don't want to do any business with you. I believe you when you say the business is profitable. But let me put it plainly: don't drag me down with you.
There are many other potential buyers in Novigrad, goldsmiths, jewelers, and merchants dealing in luxuries. I don't want to be tied to this.
Whatever you decide, I wish you all the best. Treat this letter as our final farewell.
Karadin
...
People do not easily believe answers given to them by others, but they do easily believe the answers they discover for themselves.
...
That night, after finishing his patrol duties, the second mate returned to the captain's cabin to receive instruction from the first mate, while the captain, as usual, stood to one side stirring the great cauldron with a long rod in hand.
Though it was no more than the usual sight of alchemy at work, both members of the Troupe were distracted tonight, because their armor had been laid beside the captain, waiting for him to enchant their equipment.
As the saying goes, without comparison there is no harm. When the Dawn Sword was compared to the Sword Against the Catriona Plague, no matter how much the boy emphasized the superiority of the latter, it could not change the present situation, the rogue was overflowing with smug satisfaction, while the girl was full of grievance.
And now that the second round of equipment competition had begun, with the Tordarroch family armor facing off against Yoana's finely crafted leather armor, what kind of differences would appear after enchantment would, quite clearly, affect Angoulême's authority as the boss to a certain extent.
Watching Victor keep pulling out various kinds of animal tissue from his herbal satchel and holding them in his hand, according to him this was listening to the Voice of Death. The fresher it was, the clearer the voice. The longer it had been dead, the fainter the voice became, until rot or cooking brought only complete silence.
Seeing that he still showed no sign of beginning, the girl finally could not help asking, "Vic, I want to ask about that trait you mentioned last time. If one piece of beef has... Quality Improvement, then if you chop it in half, can you use it twice?"
Holding a piece of pork in each hand and listening with his eyes closed, the boy shook his head. "Void traits are a kind of metaphysical concept. In most cases, damaging the material makes the trait disappear. Only in a very few cases can it remain unchanged, but that kind of good fortune is extremely rare. So in general, if an alchemist wants to attach a certain trait, they prefer to keep the material whole."
Angoulême asked, "Then are the trait types universal? For example, if it's Increased Destructive Power, can it also be attached to a weapon?"
"No, it can't. Increased Destructive Power is limited to offensive items. Like right now, if I want to enchant armor or leather armor, I have to find traits that can be used on defensive gear."
"Uh... Captain, then how many types are there in total?" Seeing the two talking so enthusiastically, Vigi finally gathered the courage to ask.
"They're divided into five major categories, offensive items, recovery items, weapons, defensive gear, and accessories. There are very few general-purpose affixes. Most are exclusive traits."
Once that question had been answered, the cabin suddenly fell quiet. Victor continued listening with closed eyes to the Voice of Death in the pork, while Angoulême and Vigi worked hard to digest what they had just heard.
A moment later, the girl suddenly said, "I just thought of something. Can traits be reused? Back at Trottheim, didn't you use two pieces of beef and attach them to ten bombs? So couldn't you use that Devil's Puffball as a base, then transfer those traits, Increased Destructive Power and Quality Improvement, onto other bombs?"
At those words, the captain suddenly opened his eyes and turned to stare at the girl, his blue eyes shining so brightly that both members of the Troupe jumped.
He shook his head. "What a pity... with that kind of insight, and yet without the incredible gift."
Then he continued explaining, "In the future they can be reused, but not right now. I still haven't grasped the Voice of Bombs or the Voice of Alchemy, so I can't hear a bomb's confession. Even if I know it has a trait, I still can't transfer it.
"So for now, all the traits I have on hand are single-use. Once they're used up, they're gone for the time being, so I have to be frugal. That's also why I've been considering whether to use some of them on you two first. The rarer ones I need to save for future upgrades."
"Void traits can even be upgraded!?" Both members cried out in shock.
The captain gave them a mysterious smile. "Yes, that's right. The simplest example would be Quality Improvement plus Quality Improvement+, which can combine into Excellent Result. But all that is still too far away. I'll brag about it to you when we run into it later."
...
[Name: Tordarroch Family Armor, Vigi]
[Type: Defensive Gear]
[Quality: Fine]
[Defense: Strong]
[Trait: Vitality Enhancement, Defense Enhancement]
[Notes: Please do not stand in front of a siege crossbow. Thank you.]
...
[Name: Yoana's Finely Crafted Leather Armor, Angoulême]
[Type: Defensive Gear]
[Quality: Fine]
[Defense: Ordinary]
[Trait: Potential Enhancement, Offense and Defense Enhancement]
[Notes: Though it is only a leather armor, it does not feel inferior to plate in the slightest.]
...
[Name: Yoana's Finely Crafted Leather Armor, Victor]
[Type: Defensive Gear]
[Quality: Fine]
[Defense: Ordinary]
[Trait: Potential Enhancement, Defense Bonus]
[Notes: Leather armor is still leather armor. It will not turn into plate.]
...
Several days passed in the blink of an eye. Once the captain finished the enchantments and had the members put on their respective armor, they all felt a subtle difference.
Still, Angoulême remained a little unconvinced. "Vic, are you telling the truth? Do those traits you mentioned really exist on them? Don't tell me you're tricking me again with anti-rat and anti-flea nonsense."
"Damn it! Do you know how to talk at all? If you can't speak properly, then shut your mouth. The captain always gives you the best, and this time is no exception!" Victor rebuked her angrily on the spot.
Hearing that scolding, the girl only grinned, not caring in the slightest. The boy reacting like this meant he was not truly angry at all.
Vigi, hearing it from the side, also took no issue with it. He believed the captain would never shortchange him. Besides, with the Dawn Sword in hand, every time he saw it shine, a feeling of satisfaction filled his chest.
The three of them stood on deck talking as the ship drew nearer. From this distance they could already see the outer harbor of Hindarsfjall, and at the same time the stronghold of Clan Heymaey, Larvik.
Seeing the harbor drawing close, Angoulême immediately began recounting what she had learned from the travel guide. "Hindarsfjall is the smallest of the Skellige Isles, and also the birthplace of islander culture.
"There's a beautiful temple on the island dedicated to the goddess Freya. They say the Gem of Passion on the statue's head is a great, pure diamond, extremely precious. There's also a beautiful garden near the temple, but if you want to visit it, you have to arrange it through the priestesses."
"So once we make port, let's rest for a day, then go to the temple and see the priestesses!" By the end, the girl was so excited that she directly offered the suggestion.
The boy smiled and agreed.
...
The residents of Larvik were honest folk who feared the divine, traditional believers in the goddess Freya.
As for that, their treatment after docking and entering the tavern proved the rumors were not unfounded. The roast pork was worth every coin, the stew came in great full bowls, and even the water mixed into the Nilfgaard Lemon was not that much, so much so that Victor, accustomed to the strength of Faroe Isle liquor, nearly choked on his first swallow.
Angoulême, on the other hand, restrained herself and did not drink, because the captain had instructed her that this island excursion was to be planned entirely by her. As the deputy captain, she had to shoulder the responsibility of leadership.
As for Vigi, after settling the crew, he was in the corner playing dice with others while holding a mug of beer and chewing on roast chicken.
The small tavern was warm with stove heat, keeping out the cold wind and snow. Angoulême was very pleased with her choice. Everything was proceeding according to plan. No wonder the captain always liked making plans, the feeling of everything advancing step by step really was wonderful.
She had only just thought that when the tavern door opened, and a large group of guards wearing the colors of Clan Heymaey entered, quickly taking up positions at every key point in the room.
Using her eyes to signal Vigi not to act rashly, the boss frowned with two caterpillar-like brows. She saw no particularly conspicuous person in the tavern. Then she suddenly remembered what Vic had said to the keeper at the Eldberg Lighthouse, "True, there may be nothing here, but isn't there still the Dragonborn?"
Clearly, the purpose of these guards' arrival was most likely the Dovahkiin. The crew of the Thousand Sunny had probably let word slip. After the three members of the Phantom Troupe entered, they had not publicized their identities at all, behaving like ordinary travelers.
Once she understood the situation, the girl let go of her worry. She trusted that the boy surely understood as well. Wasn't he still as calm and unhurried as ever, as if nothing at all had happened, chewing honey-roasted pork and spooning stew into his mouth one bite at a time?
The tavern door was pushed open again. This time, two people, one old and one young, passed through layer after layer of Clan Heymaey guards and stopped before Victor and Angoulême's table.
The older man placed a hand over his chest and bowed first, while the younger also bent in respect. The gray-haired, blue-eyed elder spoke first. "Donar an Hindar, with Otrygg an Hindar, has come to visit the Dovahkiin. We ask for your help."
Though she had already had a premonition, Angoulême was still startled to discover that it was Donar an Hindar himself who had come in person. Under normal circumstances, a jarl had to show some dignity, some prestige. To lower himself and come to a tavern personally meant the matter was urgent enough that it could no longer wait.
This significance was not something only the girl understood. The entire tavern had fallen silent as death. Once they saw the clan's ruler walk in, they naturally thought of the recent events and understood how serious the situation must be.
With every eye in the tavern focused on him, Victor set down his spoon, stood, and returned the salute with a hand over his chest. "Victor of Bell Town is honored to meet the chief and heir of Clan Heymaey. Your personal visit brings me both great honor and great burden. Please tell me what service I may render you."
Jarl Donar was just about to speak...
Bang!
The tavern door was thrown open yet again. This time, the one charging inside was a woman with fiery red hair, a strong build, and the colors of Clan an Craite on her.
The moment she saw her, Angoulême's mouth fell open in shock. She never would have expected to run into her here, Cerys an Craite.
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