A Deal with Armor Master

Beauclair was indeed beautiful at dusk, the fading sunlight casting a soft glow on the buildings. Though it was nearly dinner time, the streets were still bustling with pedestrians. Wayne and Francesca, a handsome pair, drew the attention of passersby, who couldn't help but turn their heads to admire them.

Francesca, raised as elven royalty, paid no mind to the curious gazes. Wayne, accustomed to his witcher lifestyle, saw them as nothing out of the ordinary.

They strolled and chatted along the picturesque streets, occasionally stopping to enter an interesting shop or sample new foods.

Wayne discovered that Francesca wasn't as averse to the mundane as she seemed. Despite rarely experiencing everyday activities like shopping for groceries over the long years, she possessed keen insight and understanding, maintaining curiosity and respect for new things.

About half an hour later, Wayne led them to the shop of the Tyen'sail.

It was a spacious store with luxurious decorations. Judging by its appearance and location on a bustling street, it was clear that the Elf Armor Master held a high status in the community and was highly sought after by the locals.

When you open the store door, the first thing you see is a massive display wall, showcasing various sophisticated armors on stands like museum exhibits.

A middle-aged male elf sits behind a counter, leisurely smoking a pipe. Even upon noticing customers, he merely glances at them lazily, showing no intention of greeting them.

In the shop, besides him, there's a young human boy around fifteen or sixteen years old. He appears quite earnest. Upon seeing Wayne and Francesca, he immediately smiles and approaches them.

"Welcome, guests, to Master Tyen'sail's shop. How may I assist you?"

"Whether you're looking to purchase a product, have something custom-made, or even have an item crafted from blueprints, we can accommodate your needs."

"Master Tyen'sail is a master-level blacksmith certified by the Blacksmiths' Guild. His skills are unmatched among blacksmiths. Of course, the prices reflect his expertise."

After hearing the young man's introduction, Wayne glances at Francesca and sees curiosity in her eyes as she examines some of the finished armors, but she remains silent.

Seeing this, Wayne speaks up, "Young man, I'm interested in commissioning some of the highest quality armor and would like to speak with Master Tyen'sail privately."

The young human boy hesitates for a moment, then turns to look at the middle-aged elf behind the counter—clearly, Tyen'sail.

Tyen'sail, having heard Wayne's request, slowly sits up straight and observes Wayne and Francesca intently.

A few seconds later, his eyes meet Francesca's, and he's suddenly stunned. Then, as if realizing something alarming, he quickly stands up and says to the young human:

"Lafargue, you should head back first. We're closed for today. Remember to lock the door."

Then, Master Tyen'sail bowed slightly to Francesca and Wayne, saying respectfully, "Madam, sir, please join me in my living room to discuss the custom armor in detail."

With that, he walked out from behind the counter, approached a door, and gestured invitingly to Francesca and Wayne.

The young human named Lafargue was surprised. He knew the elf master's temperament well and had never seen him so polite to anyone.

However, no matter how curious he was, faced with his master's order, he still bowed respectfully and then obediently walked to the store's entrance and left.

After the three of them entered a rather exquisitely decorated reception room, Tyen'sail politely brewed a pot of fine tea for the two of them, then sat across from them, looking at Francesca with a hesitant expression, as if unsure how to speak.

Seeing this, the sorceress simply removed her pearl earrings, revealing her beautiful elven ears. With a smile on her lips, she asked the elf armor master, "Master Tyen'sail, have you ever seen me before?"

Upon seeing Francesca's distinctive elven ears, Tyen'sail seemed slightly relieved. He stood up again, bowed, and said respectfully, "Princess Francesca, I was once a subject under your father's rule. I was fortunate enough to see you at some celebrations and have never forgotten your face. But a few hundred years ago, unable to bear the conflict with humans, I migrated south and settled here."

A hint of nostalgia flickered in Francesca's eyes upon hearing Tyen'sail's address. After a brief pause, the sorceress smiled and said, "Tyen'sail, the person beside me is also one of our kind. His name is Wayne, and he's a witcher of the Wolf School."

"He has a request for your assistance."

"After you two have finished talking, let's speak again."

With that, Francesca nodded gracefully to both men, then took out a book from her pocket and left the reception room.

After the sorceress left, Wayne noticed that Tyen'sail visibly relaxed, even his posture becoming less formal.

Wayne asked curiously, "You seemed a bit reserved around Ms. Francesca. Is there a reason for that?"

The middle-aged elf glanced at Wayne, took out his pipe from his pocket, placed it in his mouth, and took a long puff before replying, "Of course you younger elves wouldn't know. Princess Francesca was once the most beautiful and talented of the elven royalty. She was the dream of countless young elves and deeply loved by all."

"Even now, this noble lady is one of the most powerful mages on the Continent. It's because of her protection that many elves can maintain their current power and status."

"She is a revered figure."

After these words of admiration, Tyen'sail casually said to Wayne,

"So you are looking to have some equipment made?"

"Many witchers have come to me before, all wanting me to craft gear for them."

"Since you were brought here by Princess Francesca, I can offer you a discounted price, charging only for the materials."

Wayne was pleasantly surprised that Francesca's influence could save him so much money. He smiled inwardly and said, "Master, I don't have the appropriate equipment diagrams yet."

"I came to you because I heard you know something about the locations of advanced witcher gear diagrams. I hope you can share that information so I can collect them."

......

Half an hour later, Wayne and Francesca left Tyen'sail's shop together.

Wayne was in a very good mood. He had obtained the whereabouts of the equipment diagrams for the Griffin, Wolf, Bear, and Cat schools from Tyen'sail.

Although he could learn the Wolf School diagrams from Vesemir, he still needed to retrieve the body of the Vesemir's colleague.

As for the Cat School diagrams, well, because he had arrived too early, the Cat School witcher carrying them hadn't yet come to Toussaint and died.

While chatting with Francesca, the sorceress told him that Tyen'sail would likely stay in Toussaint for about a month before departing for the Valley of Flowers to settle there.

His shop would then be managed by his apprentices. If Wayne needed armor in the future, he could go directly to the Valley of Flowers to find him.

While Wayne felt a bit regretful about this news, he was also relieved. At least his actions had saved the Elf Armor Master's life, preventing his future death at the hands of racists. This indirectly strengthened the elves' position.

He had to acknowledge Francesca's skill. Although he knew the sorceress was always trying to win him over, he had to admit that spending time with this intelligent, generous, and beautiful elf was comfortable and enjoyable.

It could only be said that even the most hardened hearts could be swayed by beauty.

That night, Francesca didn't return north but stayed in Wayne's rented room. Nothing untoward happened between them; their relationship hadn't reached that level yet.

Wayne simply prepared some desserts and snacks that women enjoyed, and they spent the night chatting, eating, and playing Gwent.

To his surprise, Francesca, the elf beauty seemingly indifferent to worldly pleasures, was a Gwent master. She possessed many rare cards, and her skill and luck were exceptional. If not for Wayne's Gwent skill reaching level nine, he might not have been able to defeat her.

They both had a wonderful time that night. Francesca gleaned some of Wayne's suggestions for the elves' future, while Wayne gained valuable Gwent experience and several rare cards from Francesca.

The next day, after the sorceress packed away many of Wayne's pastries and snacks, she used a portal to return north.

To Wayne's surprise, Letho was swift and reliable. Just one day later, he and his two companions arrived at the Red Rose Inn. The witchers from the two schools were finally reunited.

Faced with such guests, Wayne was naturally very enthusiastic. He booked a private room at another of the city's finest establishments, filling the table with the best food and Toussaint's most renowned wines. Once their conversation was over, he planned to take them to the city's most luxurious brothel, showcasing his's financial prowess to these witcher brothers accustomed to a life of frugality.

The four of them sat in the opulent box, drinking and chatting. From Letho, Wayne learned a great deal of information.

Firstly, his two companions were also Viper School witchers. The shorter one he had seen before was named Serrit, while the taller one, smelling of medicine and covered in bandages, was named Auckes. Both were relatively young witchers, neither particularly experienced nor exceptionally strong, hence the three of them always working together.

Letho's full name was Letho of Gulet, like Geralt of Rivia, he was also a relatively famous witcher from the former southern Kingdom of Ebbing.

As Wayne had expected, the Viper School had been besieged and suppressed by Nilfgaardian usurpers two years ago. Apart from the three of them, the only other survivor was an elder master witcher who was severely injured and nearly crippled. He was now in hiding somewhere in the south, protecting the Viper School's remaining assets.

One or two other older witchers had disappeared and were currently missing.

Letho, Serrit, and Auckes were taking on contracts while searching for a way to secure the future of the Viper School.