36. Execution by fire, bounty conversion

The case of the cannibal ends here.

Lann senses the existence of a group of cannibals, but in this world, they don't seem to be all that significant.

Now, all that's left to do is take the murderer to Crow's Nest and pick up the bounty of 230 Oren along the way.

Before leaving, Lann returned to Auridon, bringing along his damaged armor.

He planned to see if he could get it fixed directly at Crow's Nest.

Ivan didn't mention following along, which can be seen as a sign of increased trust in the young man from Auridon.

"So... was that beast caught?"

Old Allen asked at the village entrance, with anxious eyes behind him.

"Yes, caught him, wasn't much trouble," Lann said with a smile as he loaded the package with armor onto Bopai's back.

"He was a cannibal, but he actually didn't know what Dunham was, so he committed crimes there. It's not a deliberate challenge to the faith in the Goddess, you can rest assured."

If it were a deliberate challenge, then several surrounding villages would prepare to maintain a patrol of young and strong men.

Because a challenge would definitely not be a one-time event.

But now there's no need to waste that manpower, which made everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

Lann joined Philip Strong's team, then together they headed north towards Crow's Nest.

The horseback journey would take about two days.

And the murderer, unsurprisingly, started to have a fever that very night.

After all, being dragged from the swamp with a pierced foot, it's unrealistic not to develop an infection.

"Tsk, master, do you have any magic potion that can keep him alive? Two days would be enough, at least until you get the bounty, right?"

Philip rubbed his hands, a bit embarrassed, as he approached Lann.

Sitting by the campfire, Lann immediately gave him a three-part answer: "No, can't, don't know."

In fact, the alchemy bag held many magic potions and sword oils.

But the toxicity is too strong for ordinary people; if the murderer drank it, he'd probably either die or go stupid.

Even though Sir Viserad likely wouldn't care if what he was executing was a fool, but... those things are expensive!

I don't even like using them for my own hunting, so why would I use them on a cannibal?

Moreover, Lann presently had no energy to devote to the field of alchemy; everything he had were Bordeaux's leftovers, and once used, they were gone.

So, under Philip's pleading gaze,

Lann walked straight over to the murderer lying unconscious on horseback. He pulled up the man's trouser leg and confirmed below the ankle had already started turning black.

Then, he drew his steel sword from his back.

With his left hand, he made signs while gently passing it over the steel sword.

"Igni."

With a "sizzle" sound like water dropping into hot oil, the bright sword blade turned instantly crimson.

It was then that Philip realized what the Demon Hunter intended to do.

"By the plague! You wouldn't...?!

"Swish!"

The crimson sword arced through the air, directly severing the two feet of the murderer on horseback!

No blood spilled; the wounds were instantly cauterized by the heat.

The murderer, who had been in a feverish daze, now howled wide awake.

His screams even startled the horse.

Lann didn't even bother to wipe his sword, sheathing it directly once it cooled.

As he passed by Philip, he patted the big man's shoulder.

"The amputation was a success. Look at how strong he's yelling; I'd say he'll live for at least five days."

What could Philip say? A cannibal, nothing but cheers.

The ranks of cavalry paid little heed, or rather, their attention was focused on Lann's Igni magic sign just now.

A sword glowing with fire!

Who could resist that?

At least now, none of these ten or so horsemen were running their mouths about witchcraft, filth, or mutants anymore.

They thought Lann's move was absolutely stunning.

Lann was in a good mood too, feeling he'd made some contribution to dispel discrimination.

Two days' journey isn't long, and Lann's group soon arrived at Crow's Nest.

The sea wind, smelling of brine, swept through, clearing out and mingling with the darkened clouds.

Velen's weather had been criticized by Lann many times, yet he remained unaccustomed to it.

Sir Viserad came over in a hurry to take the criminal away, exchanged a few words with Philip to the side, then reluctantly showed a smile towards the young man.

Without further delay, he took the cannibal to the scaffold prepared early on for the execution by fire.

"It's a pity we can't dissect him," a neutral-toned intelligent voice chimed in the young man's mind, "Otherwise the proficiency in [Surgery] would certainly rise significantly."

"Don't be greedy, Mentos." Lann shrugged indifferently.

"In this case, one cannot have both money and skill. A criminal who can unite the people in mutual enmity is a gift from heaven for the lord. And if this criminal can be seen dying by one's own hand under everyone's watchful eyes, that has even greater significance. If that beast is dead, much of Viserad's leverage would be lost, and who knows how much of the promised reward can still be claimed then."

"The primary aim of developing [Surgery] is for self-implantation of gene seeds, and the bodily data of others temporarily doesn't help the primary goal, so it's part of the dispensable segments."

"Understood, sir."

The dialogue between the smart brain and its owner was temporarily interrupted because Philip came walking over, blowing into a flask.

"Phoo-ha! Nothing matches the strength of my dwarf liquor!" The big man wiped his mouth with a bold gesture and said.

"Don't blame the knight for not coming over just now; he's never seen many Demon Hunters in his life, still thinks you're storybook monsters."

"I spoke to him about your reward, he agreed completely. But upon hearing that you're seeking money for armor repair, he also wanted to save some cash."

With arms crossed and leaning against a wooden fence, the Demon Hunter stood.

On the fire-scarred wooden stage opposite, the lord held a torch aloft, addressing the people's crowd below.

Without a doubt, Viserad possessed considerable oratory skills, coupled with the truly outrageous crime.

Thus, the crowd was enraged, eager to tear the cannibal to shreds.

"Interesting... how much did he offer?"

Philip let out a belch before answering.

"To disappoint you, Crow's Nest doesn't have a master smith. But the knight is willing to give you a signed and stamped note recommending a smithing shop in Gos Velen to repair your armor for free. Rest assured, that's a master smith licensed from Novigrad, with impeccable skills. But you can only get twenty Oren from the knight, and with my personal reward for you, it's a total of fifty Oren."

Lann did a quick comparison; his ideal price for armor repairs was two hundred Oren.

Although the journey from Crow's Nest to Gos Velen takes two and a half days on horseback, most people wouldn't refuse saving twenty Oren for a two and a half day ride.

"Cut corners?" the young man raised a brow at the sergeant.

"Buddy, that's the Lord of Velen's signed and stamped note. If he offers such conditions but can't deliver satisfaction, Veltrest might as well hand this province over to someone else instead."

"Then it's a deal."

"Haha, deal!"

As the two shook hands, a sudden pillar of fire shot up from the execution platform.

The criminal's screams were drowned out by the people's cheers.