Leaving Kaer Morhen Castle, Wayne followed Geralt, and it took three full days to cross the cold and rugged Blue Mountains and enter the territory of the Kaedwen Kingdom.
Wayne found himself camping in the wild for the first time, a departure from his usual witcher routine in more civilized settings. The cold weather and harsh, dirty environment proved challenging for the way, accustomed to a life of comfort and sophistication.
Thanks to the hidden haven established by Geralt and his companions in the mountains over the years, coupled with a significant reduction in the number of monsters in the forest during winter, they were able to safely traverse the well-explored route to the Blue Mountains.
However, when he and Geralt were in the midst of planning to search for missions in the villages of the Kaedwen Kingdom along the way, they were confronted by the harshness of reality.
"Get out of our village, you disgusting mutants."
"A bunch of sorceress whores and bastards born of monsters dare to come and defile our land, get out".
"Hide the children quickly, the witcher bastards are coming, these monsters will come and steal our children".
After a full day of trekking through the wilderness, Wayne stumbled upon a dilapidated village. Eager to learn about the local situation, he approached a villager, only to be met with insults and hostility from many residents, prompting his swift dismissal from the village.
The words were vicious as if the two had annihilated their entire families. What's more, within mere minutes of their entry into the village, a middle-aged, bearded man clad in a leather jacket and brandishing an iron sword led a group of five young men armed with pitchforks and hoes to encircle them.
Seeing their menacing postures and the weapons they wielded, Wayne instinctively gripped the steel sword strapped to his back and drew it halfway.
Geralt, standing beside Wayne, remained remarkably composed. He reassured Wayne with a pat on the shoulder, signaling him not to be nervous. Stepping forward, Geralt approached the bearded man in the leather jacket and spoke in a deep, steady voice.
"Hey, friend, it's in your best interest to calm those farmers down. We're witchers, here for commissions. We are not looking for trouble. And in case things get ugly, a couple of pitchforks won't be of much help to anyone."
Despite the bearded man's rough and savage appearance, his past experiences of wandering in the wilderness during his youth had acquainted him with the tales of the formidable abilities possessed by the mutant beings before him. He was well aware that not only were these villagers with pitchforks outmatched, but even if they were to dispatch a dozen soldiers, they might still fall short in comparison to a seasoned witcher.
What's more, there are two witchers on the opposite side.
Upon hearing Geralt's warning, he gestured with his hand, urging the young men armed with pitchforks and hoes to refrain from impulsive actions. Squinting their eyes, they scrutinized the two witchers standing before them.
As he observed the amber cat eyes of the two, the long white hair of Geralt, and Wayne's pointed elf ears, a hint of disgust involuntarily flickered in his eyes.
"Get out of the village, witchers. There's no commission for you here."
Geralt, unfazed by the words, simply shrugged, turned around, and whispered to Wayne, "Don't be surprised, Wayne. The Kingdom of Kaedwen is arguably the northern kingdom with the strongest aversion to non-human races."
"The people here are often rough and uncivilized, with little regard for courtesy. Particularly, their king, Henselt, can be compared to a wild boar—more of a bandit and a violent drunkard than a king."
"This king doesn't have any great achievements, but the whole north knows that his favorite thing to do is to persecute non-human races, and try to kill the dwarves and elves in those cities."
"As witchers, we are also not welcome here, so I rarely look for commissions here.
"Let's keep moving, heading west and following the course of the Ponta River will take us about half a month to leave the Kingdom of Kaedwen."
Wayne nodded speechlessly and was about to leave with Geralt.
Suddenly, a hobbled old woman emerged from the village. Hastening toward the bearded man, she grabbed his sleeve, tears streaming down her face as if pleading for something. A brief exchange of words ensued between them until the old woman collapsed on the ground, weeping and clinging to the bearded man's leg. With a sigh, he assisted her to her feet and called out to Wayne and Geralt.
"Hey, witcher, wait. We have a commission here."
Wayne and Geralt exchanged glances, and when they saw a job coming, They turned and retraced their steps toward the bearded man, silently observing the old woman whose expression shifted from sorrow to joy.
Before Geralt could speak, Wayne asked first, "What is your commission?"
Seeing Wayne's proactive stance, Geralt shot him a surprised glance, recalling the peculiar habit of this guy back in Kaer Morhen—always needing tasks to stay motivated.
The middle-aged man with a beard cast a glance at Geralt, the evidently older one. Not detecting any objection, he shifted his gaze to Wayne, who appeared much younger and spoke in a gruff voice.
"Two young men in our village are missing, and I entrust you to find them."
He supported the old woman with tears on his face beside him, with a hint of regret in his voice
"She is the mother of the two brothers, Misha. Three days ago, her two sons ventured into the southern forest to gather firewood, and they haven't returned since. There are often wolves in the southern forest."
"Even if they've become prey for wild wolves, we need certainty—confirmation of their fate, rather than dangling hope in front of the living."
Having said that, the bearded man added a little embarrassingly, "Of course, we humble farmers are but poor souls with scant coins. Misha can manage up to five ducats at most. Those two sons are her only kin. If they've met an unfortunate end, Misha likely won't survive until the next year."
Hearing this, Wayne cast a glance at the sorrowful old woman, a twinge of sympathy welling up within him.
Ducats served as the currency in the Kaedwen Kingdom. While he wasn't precisely aware of the purchasing power of five ducats, contemplating the circumstances, it occurred to Wayne that the poor farmers tending to their fields likely didn't have much to spare.
After the bearded man finished speaking about the entrustment, a task reminder appeared in his mind.
Quest initiated: [Looking for Misha's Missing Sons]
Difficulty Level: Expert
Objective: Locate and determine the fate of Misha's two missing sons who disappeared in the southern forest.
Rewards: To be determined based on the successful completion of the quest.
Wayne was overjoyed that it was actually an expert-level task. According to the system's instructions, ordinary-level tasks were relatively simple and belonged to daily tasks, and did not even require combat.
The expert-level tasks are more difficult, belonging to the level that is difficult for ordinary people to complete, and there is a high probability of dangerous battles.
Master-level missions and epic-level missions, on the other hand, were exceedingly rare and extremely difficult quests that might only arise once every few years. Their impact could extend far beyond individual lives, potentially shaping the course of the world.
Despite his eagerness to directly take on the task, Wayne recognized that he was now part of a team with Geralt, and decisions needed to be made collaboratively.
So, Wayne turned his head to look at Geralt, and asked the white wolf's opinion with his eyes.
Seeing him looking over, Geralt showed no expression on his paralyzed face, but he still nodded slightly with difficulty.
Wayne let out a sigh of relief, mentally committing to accepting the task. With a smile, he turned to the bearded man and Misha by his side and said
"We're willing to take on this commission. However, the journey has taken a toll on us, and we would like to take a rest. Please arrange for a temporary resting place and prepare a decent meal for us. Once we've regained our strength, we'll proceed with the commission."