A person in American horror, wearing two versions of The Witcher

Loneliness, fear, fatigue, unease.

Bang, bang...

Curled up in the deep darkness of the night, the sound of one's heartbeat slowly becomes the most stable sound one can perceive.

Even more unstable are the sounds of breathing; then there are the insect chirps that sometimes resonate and sometimes change frequency, and the sudden gusts of wind.

And amidst this cacophony of sounds, the passage of time becomes blurred.

It's impossible to tell whether a moment or longer has passed.

And until,

Suddenly you hear the sound of wind, a sobbing sound that stirs up your unease.

At the same time, the chirping of insects closest to you outside the window abruptly stops.

And the breathing of the dog beside you also changed frequency in an instant.

At that moment, you heard your heart pounding even harder—

Bang bang bang, bang bang bang...

The Witcher's attributes have not yet granted Roy cat-like night vision, so the dense darkness has become the biggest obstacle to his observation of what's outside the window.

So Roy couldn't see or understand what was happening outside the window, but he knew about it through the varied insect sounds.

In the thick darkness of the night,

Outside the dark room window,

There's definitely someone there!

No, he still couldn't tell whether what was outside the window was a human figure or a ghost.

Instead of trying to be clever and mimicking snoring, or jumping up and running out the door immediately, Roy gently pressed down on Coffin's head to keep the dog still.

At the same time, I closed my eyes, listened carefully, and gently regulated my breathing, trying to calm my heartbeat...

Backpacks were piled up on the bed in a human-shaped reclining position, and in one corner, the hands of Roy's mechanical watch were emitting their characteristic night-vision glow.

All of this constitutes his disguise, so he must remain as still as possible.

He wanted to avoid revealing as much as possible that Geralt had gone out and that the people inside had discovered the ulterior motives of those outside.

He was already a burden to Geralt in the darkness outside, and inside, he couldn't be a drag on the trouble that was still brewing.

Even if it delays his best chance to escape.

Heartbeat, breathing, wheezing...

Once again, it became the most stable harmony in the night.

And then, the sound of the wind suddenly disappeared.

And after an unknown amount of time, the chirping of insects outside the window started again.

However, Roy still hasn't moved.

He didn't even exhale to calm himself down, nor did he eagerly seek clues or check the hands on his watch.

He remained motionless, refusing to let any cleverness or eagerness become the cause of his downfall.

After a while, the chirping of insects stopped again.

A little while later, it started again.

Its chirping continued intermittently, making it impossible for Roy to determine whether the ghostly figure outside the window had stood there for too long, causing the insects to get used to it and resume their chirping, or whether the constant movement of the figure, coming and going, was causing the insects' chirping to stop and start again...

There's nothing left for Roy to make a stable judgment.

Then he'll just wait, foolishly wait.

Until… Coffin's ears perked up again, and a figure shrouded in darkness entered the room through the window: "It's me!"

His low voice carried Geralt's deep tone, while his eyes gleamed with a bewitching yellow-green light in the night.

Call ~

Roy let out a deep breath; only at this moment could he slightly relax his long-strained nerves.

At the same time, the trigger was released.

Geralt is back! The old man is back! He's safe and sound, and nothing bad has happened!

that's nice!

After catching his breath, he felt confident enough to touch the watch on the bed. He looked at the hands and saw that it was 4:23.

Geralt left at 1:42.

Nearly three hours of agonizing waiting...

"Something was peering in through the window halfway through, but I don't know what it was," Roy reported in a low voice.

"I know, I saw it. You did well, but if there's a next time..." Geralt sat back down on the edge of his bed, taking off his boots.

"Run! I told you to run!"

"Even if it exposes your whereabouts?" Roy asked.

"Yes, even if it makes them alert."

Geralt said with absolute certainty, but then, as if realizing his tone had been too forceful, he added:

"We don't alert them just to make the final kill easier and to actually get the bounty, but that doesn't mean we can't force a kill if they're alert, or that we should risk your life for that little bit of bounty."

Roy didn't reply.

Even if he disagrees, he doesn't want to be the pig who does bad things.

But the word "we" always warmed his heart.

Just like Geralt, the former lone wolf, using this word as both a warning and a gesture, it signifies genuine recognition and acceptance to him.

Acceptance on a real-world level beyond pop-up notifications.

"You sleep a little longer, I'll stay here. We'll talk about what happened during the night when it's light."

"good!"

Roy agreed and lay down on the bed.

The rifle was still on the bedside table, and the pistol was still under his pillow. He didn't keep them within reach, but he still felt a strange sense of peace when he closed his eyes.

It was a sense of relief and relaxation that came after nearly three hours of tension and anxiety.

It was Geralt who brought him peace of mind.

And perhaps it is precisely this sense of security that makes a lone wolf yearn for a pack.

If we think about it a little more,

The interaction between Coffin and the Four Wolves

Perhaps, he shouldn't have severed ties so completely.

Perhaps he should go and see again and let it choose...

……

early morning,

I got up, changed into my own clothes that the tailor had washed and dried, packed my gear, watched the hunter family pray in the morning, and then declined the hunter Hack's offer to accompany me, saying I was going out for a walk.

Roy followed Geralt along the dirt paths through the village, greeting the villagers with whom he had drunk the previous night, and slowly made their way to a less crowded area.

"Last night I followed Hack and found a cave in the woods."

"The entrance to the cave was covered by tree branches and leaves, and there were still traces of human and deer blood around it."

"Because there were wolves guarding the entrance to the cave, I didn't actually go in."

Geralt described it in a low voice.

Roy asked instinctively, "Is it just planks of wood for shelter, without any houses or buildings?"

He also remembered that in the game, the werewolf's base was a burrow beneath a cabin in the woods.

"I don't understand why anyone would build a house in the forest. Is it to make it convenient for monsters to eat while also providing them with shelter?"

So yes, no!

After giving Roy a look as if he were an idiot, Geralt continued:

"While waiting, I returned to the wreckage we had inspected the day before, following the trail to the river."

"However, on the riverbank, I found two more tracks, one of which led to the cave that Huck had gone to last night."

Geralt then patted Roy on the shoulder and said:

"But just as I followed the trail to the cave, the wolves outside the cave were gone, and the entrance to the cave was covered up again."

"At that time, I thought, 'Oh no, he might have gone back to you.'"

"And sure enough, when I got outside, Huck was standing by the window."

"If I hadn't heard your breathing from inside the house through the open space, I would have taken action then and wouldn't have waited until he left before going back in."

Roy's expression hardened. Hark had been there the whole time; Geralt had only come in after he left.

In other words, fortunately, he didn't try anything clever from beginning to end, nor did he make a single move.

Otherwise, be prepared for the outsiders to see through it.

"Actually, your best option last night was to run away first thing this morning and wait for me in a safe place. Once I've received your silver reward, I'll definitely find you again."

Geralt repeated what he had said during the night.

Roy listened and smiled, saying:

"Uncle, you said it before, that once I embarked on this path, I had to get used to these things... not by trying to get rid of them, but by trying to get used to them, whether it's a stench or a fear."

"It seems you already know where you're going and what you're supposed to do."

Geralt remained noncommittal, shrugging his shoulders as he said:

"Hmm, perhaps for this Wolf King commission, I should just follow behind you and take around 20% of the commission as an advisory fee."

"If that could really be the case, that would be wonderful!" Roy said, patting his chest.

"Then you should just plate all the sabers with silver!" Geralt retorted.

Roy's spear is still being repaired at the blacksmith's shop, and his waist knife is a real pure steel knife, it can't even break through the wolf king's leather armor!

"Hmm, that's definitely something to consider!" Roy joked.

"So now, kid, what should you do as a Witcher?" Geralt asked, arms crossed.

There were still three days until the full moon, and Hark hadn't turned into a werewolf in the cave last night, so Geralt still had time to complete his so-called apprenticeship training.

Of course, and most importantly, Geralt is rich now!

"I think we should subtly inquire about Hack's situation, for example..."

As Roy spoke, he spotted a fisherman carrying his net and catch walking towards the village and immediately said:

"Let's ask the fisherman who drank with us last night."

Geralt shrugged and nodded.

He also wanted to know what other stories were hidden behind the hunter Hack.

Of course, if there's no story involved...

Beneath his silver sword, there were quite a few nameless and unknown monsters!