Inside a private room at "The Spur" tavern.
The freckle-faced girl wiped the clean tabletop with a cloth, offering a genuine smile.
"We..." Three Jackdaws looked up at the impeccably clean ceiling, not a single cobweb in the corners, then after a mont continued, "First, so... beer, ah, let's have a barrel. And to go with the beer... any recomndations, dear?"
"Roast fish?" the tavern girl suggested hesitantly.
Borch blinked: "Excellent, then four servings of roast fish, and soup, do you have any with mussels, small fish, and all sorts of bits and pieces floating around?"
The tavern girl thought for a mont: "Seafood soup?"
Borch snapped his fingers, ordering a large amount in one breath.
"Yes. And roast lamb with eggs and onions. Sixty crawfish, lots of fennel in the pot, as much as you have. Then goat cheese and salad. And after that... we'll see."
A joyous smile blood on the tavern girl's face.
This was a major custor.
"At your service. One for each of you, all four?"
The tall Zerrikanian girl shook her head, even patting her stomach through her linen shirt.
"I forgot." Borch winked at Lynn. "Girls need to watch their figures. Miss! Only two servings of lamb. Bring the beer and roast fish quickly, the rest can co later so it doesn't get cold. We're not here to gorge ourselves, but to have a pleasant chat."
"I understand, esteed sir." The girl awkwardly bowed, mimicking others she had seen.
"You did well, my dear, I like your service. Give your hand, my beauty."
Clinking gold coins fell into the girl's palm.
"This isn't for the al," Borch emphasized, "just a tip. Don't tell your boss, you earned it."
Lynn watched the excited tavern girl depart.
When only the four of them remained in the private room, Lynn finally spoke.
"Few nobles are like you, unless they're in a genuinely good mood that day."
"Have you t many nobles? What are they like?"
Lynn thought for a mont, then replied. The source of this content ɪs novel(ꜰ)ire
"They basically wouldn't spare a glance for common folk, as if looking too long would rot their eyes;"
"Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't speak to commoners either; instead, their stewards or people of similar standing would speak for them, as if there were a tragic, thick barrier between them..."
Borch watched him with composure: "Hmm, anything else?"
The two Zerrikanian girls, seated on either side of the table, stared at the witcher as if scrutinizing a rare creature.
At the sa ti, they quietly conversed in Zerrikanian, occasionally letting out bell-like laughter.
"Most nobles wouldn't mingle with commoners like you just did. In fact, apart from council mbers who make all sorts of promises before an election to gain votes, then discard them completely after only caring about making money, I haven't seen a single superior who was kind to commoners."
The tavern girl brought four drinks to the table.
Borch smiled and nodded at her.
Then he turned back to the witcher.
"Your understanding of politics astounds . I never thought a witcher could be as knowledgeable as a scholar?"
Lynn said very modestly: "I am ashad. It's just a little bit of insignificant knowledge."
Borch picked up the drink the tavern girl brought and took a sip.
"If you don't mind, Sir Lynn, I'd like to ask you a question."
Lynn nodded: "Of course I don't mind. Please ask, Sir Borch."
"If I'm not mistaken, a witcher's job is basically to kill whoever pays you to kill them, right?"
"We are not assassins, Sir Borch. We don't accept assassination contracts."
"My apologies, I wasn't precise enough. I an, you hunt monsters for paynt. Does any monster make no difference to you?"
"That's not accurate. I only kill monsters that harm people."
Borch was stunned: "What did you say?"
Lynn took a sip of his drink and slowly said.
"Hunting monsters is a witcher's natural calling, and the original purpose for which witchers were created."
"But I and one of my friends are different from other witchers. Our teacher once said this:"
"Witchers should only eliminate monsters that cause harm."
Borch imdiately looked solemn: "May I have the honor of knowing the na of that elder, and your other friend?"
There was nothing to hide.
"My teacher is Vesemir, and as for the friend who shares my principles, his na is Geralt of Rivia."
Borch secretly noted down these two nas.
He then added.
"What if soone wants you to go to a specific location, for a special task, for example? What would you do?"
Lynn considered: "I would first clarify where this specific location is, what this special task is, and what the reward is?"
"Hmm, a very cautious habit. Let be more specific then: what if soone offers you a high price to deal with a dragon? Not a draconid, a basilisk, or other dragon-like creatures, but a real dragon! And for a high price!"
At the end, Borch gestured exaggeratedly.
"That would depend on the circumstances, Sir Three Jackdaws. A true dragon is undoubtedly beyond comparison with draconid creatures. In fact, so scholars even believe the term 'draconid creature' is inaccurate, because they are simply too different from true dragons."
"Returning to our topic, in the books at Kaer Morhen, it's ntioned that true dragons are actually no different from us—humans, elves, dwarves, gnos, and other intelligent beings. In fact, their intelligence might even surpass ours."
"Therefore, if the other party is a dragon willing to communicate, then not only would I not accept a contract to hunt it, I would also inform it of the news in advance before a dragon-hunting party found it, telling it to leave quickly to avoid conflict with the dragon-hunting party."
"But if the other party is a wicked dragon that attacks villages and slaughters the weak, then I would be very happy to accept that contract and eliminate the threat to the people."
The steaming food brought by the tavern girl obscured Borch's shocked expression.
The aroma of the food drew the attention of all four.
Next, no one spoke.
Instead, they all enjoyed the delicious food in unison.
It wasn't until the lamb and roast fish on the table beca a pile of bones and fishbones that Borch sucked his fingers and said.
"You truly surprise , Sir Lynn." Three Jackdaws raised his cup. "What you just said is worth a toast."
....
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