Chapter 78

This banquet was intended as a housewarming and farewell party. Wayne did not have many friends in the city of Wyzima, and the only ones who could be considered upper-class were Leuvaarden and Keira.

Others, such as the dwarves in the smithy and a few childhood acquaintances from Old York's inn, were friends from the common streets.

As for the family of small gnomes, it was impossible for them to appear openly at a banquet in the city. All in all, the total count was likely no more than twenty people.

He was a person who enjoyed liveliness, so he decided to invite all his friends to his home for this banquet and simply host an open-air barbecue in the backyard.

He specifically went to the market to purchase a variety of meats, vegetables, and fruits, intending to marinate them and show off his skills at the banquet, ensuring everyone would have a dinner that made them feel happy.

As for alcoholic beverages, he certainly wouldn't use the dozen bottles of fine wine Keira had given him to entertain guests.

Moreover, most dwarves didn't actually like drinking refined wine; what they preferred was beer by the mug and high-proof spirits that could make their whole bodies heat up.

For this reason, he simply bought seven or eight large barrels of Wyzima Champion and a dozen bottles of various fruit wines from Old York's shop, which cost him a full four hundred orens—a real bloodletting.

While preparing the ingredients for the banquet, Wayne suddenly remembered that Leuvaarden, who had helped him with many things, was very fond of the bear paw dish he cooked.

Since the menu was also lacking some game, he saddled his horse, took the longbow that Toruviel had given him, and prepared to go into the forest to hunt and try his luck.

With the foundation of archery from his past life, although he couldn't be considered a master, his archery was still much better than that of an ordinary hunter.

And once he had some free time, he would definitely put in the effort to raise his archery to a level unimaginable to ordinary people.

After all, in a medieval world dominated by cold weapons, a powerful archery skill often caused more heart-stopping damage and threats in many situations than a steel sword or a spell or two.

However, just as he was riding his horse through the gates of Wyzima and heading toward the forest,

he happened to see three strangely dressed people walking toward him on the road.

The leader was a middle-aged man, somewhat short and stout, with thick chestnut curly hair, wearing a cotton tunic and a dark brown doublet. Sewn onto his clothes was a faded crest with a yellow background and three black birds standing side-by-side in the middle. He wore riding boots and carried no weapons.

This wasn't particularly strange, but the two people following him were very conspicuous.

They were two young women with wheat-colored skin, special blue tattoos on their faces, and confident temperaments. They were quite beautiful and had excellent figures—not the delicate build of ordinary women, but a fit, muscular physique full of power, like a cheetah.

Even in the somewhat chilly spring, they were dressed quite scantily in black tube tops made of some unknown leather, revealing toned midriffs with visible abs, and their long, straight legs were wrapped in lynx-fur shorts that only covered the tops of their thighs.

On their shoulders, gloves, and leg armor, they wore unique chainmail, and from their shoulders, one could see the hilts of two scimitars.

Wayne narrowed his eyes; he could recognize this as the distinct attire of Zerrikanian female warriors. It had been recorded in the books at Kaer Morhen, and the scimitars on their backs were the famous Zerrikanian scimitars.

The short, stout man's attire, the three-black-bird crest, and the features of the two Zerrikanian girls following him made a name pop into Wayne's mind instantly.

Borch Three Jackdaws.

As for his other name, sorry, because it was too long and convoluted, Wayne didn't remember it at all.

The reason Wayne was so impressed by this person was that Borch Three Jackdaws was not a human, but a golden dragon capable of standing at the top of the power hierarchy in the Witcher world—a golden dragon that could transform into a human, a nearly unique existence even in the entire Witcher world.

Perhaps because Wayne had stared at him for too long, Borch also noticed the young man riding toward him.

When he saw Wayne's distinct amber cat-like pupils, Borch was slightly stunned for a moment, and then a look of keen interest appeared on his chubby face.

He kicked his horse, took the initiative to speed up, rode to Wayne's side, and said, "Excuse me, young sir, are you a witcher?" Hearing Borch's question, Wayne's expression remained unchanged, while his thoughts raced.

According to the original plot, at this point in time, it should indeed be close to the dragon-slaying story.

If he didn't exist, the protagonist Geralt would have already gone to other cities to find work, and then, during a contract to deal with a cockatrice, he would have met the Borch before him, leading to the subsequent story.

Now, with his appearance, everything had become completely different from the past.

However, there was no time for him to overthink. Wayne wore a faint smile, nodded at Borch, and said:

"That's right, I am a witcher."

Borch immediately showed an excited expression. He clapped his hands and said happily:

"That's wonderful! While traveling through the many kingdoms of the North, I have always heard legends of witchers and have been very interested in your profession. It is a pity that I have never had the chance to meet one until now."

"My name is Borch, and my friends call me Three Jackdaws. I am a knight traveling through the lands."

"Although it is a bit presumptuous, I wonder if there is an opportunity today to invite you to join us for lunch?"

"We happen to be heading into the city to rest. Since you are more familiar with Wyzima, you could choose the tavern with the best food so we can experience the delicacies of Wyzima as well."

After Borch finished speaking, the two Zerrikanian girls behind him also showed interest, their faces wearing bright smiles, and they both sized Wayne up with sparkling eyes.

Wayne looked up at the enthusiastic Borch and then at the two beautiful Zerrikanian girls behind him.

To be honest, regardless of how the plot developed later, being able to share lunch with a golden dragon who could transform into a human and two beauties from a foreign land, listening to their experiences, and chatting about their thoughts was a quite interesting thing.

And from what Wayne understood from the story, this golden dragon who went by the alias Three Jackdaws was also a good friend worth associating with.

So, after considering for a few seconds, he nodded at Borch, revealed a cheerful smile, and said:

"My name is Wayne, Mr. Borch."

"There's no need for such trouble; I invite you to my home to share lunch."

"I am a very curious person, and I am also very interested in a knight who has traveled through many lands."

After saying this, he swept a playful glance at the two Zerrikanian female warriors following Borch and said with a smile: "Besides, being able to dine with two beautiful girls from Zerrikania is also a wonderful thing."

"As for my cooking, heh, I'm not bragging, but once you taste my cooking, you will know what true deliciousness is."

Borch did not expect the young witcher before him to be so enthusiastic, actually inviting him, a person he was meeting for the first time, to eat at his home.

However, as a powerful golden dragon, he was naturally fearless, and he was also very interested in this young man, so he said without hesitation: "That's great! I like your hospitality, Wayne."

"However, as a guest, I cannot visit your home empty-handed. Please take me to the best tavern in the city first; I want to buy a few bottles of the finest wine as a gift for the visit."

Thanks to Cute Beast, Knowledge of the World, Happy Mood, Wang Liang, Beidang Yun, Good Names Make People Remember You, Very Important, and the big boss with the numeric name for the tips. Thank you all for your support, mwah.

A newbie writer thanks you! (End of chapter)