Toussaint was a small vassal duchy under the Nilfgaardian Empire.
Thanks to its pleasant climate and fertile volcanic soil, it was renowned for its high-quality wines, earning it nicknames like "The Land of Fairy Tales," "The Country of Wine and Love," and "The Land of Wine."
It lived up to its reputation for year-round spring. While snow still blanketed many northern regions in February, Toussaint basked in warm sunshine, with no trace of winter among its flowers, plants, and trees.
Francesca had chosen Wayne's arrival point well. He appeared on a hillside overlooking the picturesque city of Beauclair, nestled on the plains beside a river.
The city's name needed no introduction. As the most famous wine capital in the world, it boasted a thriving trade. Merchants from all over brought their wares to sell, returning home with wine to turn a profit.
However, Wayne currently had no acquaintances in Beauclair. The only person he could potentially reach out to was Fringilla, mentioned by Francesca. But he hadn't yet decided whether to seek her out.
Fringilla Vigo was a distant relative of the current duchess and the niece of the royal mage, Artorian Vigo. Meeting her would be equivalent to entering the royal family's radar and potentially exposing his identity.
After a brief consideration, Wayne decided to enter Beauclair under a different guise. A cover identity would provide a layer of protection for any unsavory actions he might undertake in private.
And when he truly needed help, he could approach Fringilla and use her high-level connections to resolve issues that couldn't be solved through ordinary means.
As for his disguise, it wasn't difficult to choose. His spatial bracelet contained a large amount of pipe tobacco. Using this high-grade tobacco, unavailable in the Continent, he could pose as a high-end tobacco merchant.
He could then travel throughout Toussaint under this guise, seeking the treasures and information he desired while discreetly making contact with those he needed to.
With his plan in place, he quickly stored all his weapons in the spatial bracelet, leaving only a Statik electric blade on his waist. He donned a set of high-end silk clothing and flew towards Beauclair on his magic carpet, several hundred meters above the ground.
After flying for over ten minutes, Wayne landed at a secluded spot a few kilometers from Beauclair. He disguised himself as an ordinary traveler and walked onto the road leading to the city.
There were no complications. After paying a few silver coins as an entry fee, he smoothly entered the city.
Although he had played the game many times, actually entering Beauclair felt quite different.
Perhaps because Toussaint had been spared from war for many years, its people were somewhat similar to hobbits. Most were quite cheerful and enthusiastic, even polite to strangers.
With directions from a passerby, Wayne wandered through the city for over ten minutes, passing through several bustling streets before reaching a rather upscale hotel.
However, before he could book a room, a scene in the lobby caught his attention.
Two people sat at a table, holding cards and looking both thoughtful and excited. A crowd watched intently in silence, as if witnessing a captivating performance.
Wayne had seen similar scenes in many places and enjoyed playing Gwent, a skill the system had deemed a professional ability for a witcher.
He quickly booked the best room from the hotel owner, then walked over to the two Gwent players and joined the spectators.
Gwent was always enjoyable. After watching for half an hour, Wayne confirmed that the rules here were the same as in the north. Perhaps due to the thriving trade, with merchants from all over gathering here, they also had many of the latest cards, and Gwent was quite popular.
As a true Gwent master, Wayne decided to stop pretending. During a break between games, he found a table to sit at and addressed the onlookers:
"Friends, watching a match isn't as fun as playing yourself."
"Would anyone like to duel me in Gwent? I'm quite confident. Anyone who can beat me will receive double their wager. Up to five hundred crowns, minimum ten crowns. I'm willing to accept any challenge."
Hearing Wayne's words, the crowd's attention immediately shifted to him, including the two players.
Seeing Wayne's youthful face and the enticing offer of doubling the bet, the crowd became intrigued.
Soon, a well-dressed, middle-aged man with a thick beard politely sat down opposite Wayne.
He extended his hand to shake Wayne's, introducing himself, "Hello, sir. I'm Stephen from the Plante Wine Estate. If you don't mind, we can play a few games of Gwent."
"I truly love this game."
Wayne was also polite. After shaking the man's hand, he introduced himself, "Hello, Stephen."
"I'm Joel Smith, a tobacco merchant from the Kingdom of Zerrikania. This is my first time in Toussaint. It's a beautiful place."
Stephen was surprised and asked curiously, "I didn't expect that, Smith. Could it be that Gwent has spread to the distant Kingdom of Zerrikania?"
Wayne laughed and boasted without hesitation, "Due to our family's successful business and extensive contact with the outside world, I had the opportunity to encounter Gwent."
"But in Zerrikania, only the upper class has the chance to play this game."
Stephen from Plante Wine Estate remained cautious. He and Wayne agreed on the minimum bet of ten crowns for their first game.
When they faced off, Wayne masked his skills to appear slightly weaker than his opponent, ultimately turning defeat into victory.
Even after winning two games in a row, he intentionally lost a third, losing thirty crowns to Stephen. After three games, he had only gained Gwent experience and a net profit of five crowns.
However, it was this display of moderate skill, offering a glimpse of victory, that became bait for Gwent players eager to win money.
Soon, all the Gwent players present challenged Wayne, one by one.
While Wayne gained valuable Gwent experience, he continued suppressing his strength, maintaining a winning streak with occasional losses, ultimately winning money overall.
To further increase the appeal of his gambling game, he even intentionally lost a large sum of three hundred crowns to a young, flamboyant nobleman.
In just one afternoon, as word spread among Gwent players, he dueled with nearly a hundred people in the city. He gained immense Gwent proficiency and befriended many wealthy locals.
As a tobacco merchant in disguise, Wayne not only kept a pipe in his mouth during the games but also occasionally offered his opponents a taste of the rich pipe tobacco.
The aroma of this high-quality tobacco from Middle Earth quickly attracted the attention of all tobacco-loving men. Both his opponents and the onlookers were captivated by the rich fragrance.
Wayne wasn't stingy with the pipe tobacco. As long as someone expressed interest, he would give them a small sample to enjoy.
When asked about purchasing it, Wayne politely declined, explaining that it wasn't yet available for sale and they needed to wait for the supply.
The Gwent gambling game effectively promoted Wayne's pipe tobacco.
In less than two days, news of a skilled Gwent player and a tobacco merchant with high-quality tobacco spread among the wealthy in Beauclair.
Those who could afford to bet against Wayne were not ordinary people. They had the financial resources to wager hundreds of crowns in a single game.
Thanks to the enthusiasm of Beauclair's Gwent players and Wayne's previous experience, his Gwent level quickly reached nine.
Just one level remained before unlocking new skills and a special luck-related ability.
Beauclair, a cosmopolitan city with merchants from around the world, would surely meet Wayne's needs for further advancement.
...
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