bookbashuk Chapter 87 Novigrad's Industrial Layout
Chapter 87 Novigrad's Industrial Layout
Chapter 87 Novigrad's Industrial Layout
Several days later, early in the morning, on the second floor of the Kingfisher Tavern.
Sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the long table. The air was filled with the scent of new wood. From downstairs came Dandelion's slightly excited voice as he directed the workers in setting up for the opening ceremony.
Dudu sat at the table, holding a cup of herbal tea. Geralt sat to Ron's right, Erwin was flipping through a memo pad, and Triss leaned against the window, looking out at the street.
Ron tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "So, according to Dandelion, after he and Ciri rescued Dudu, they were chased by Hawthorne II's men and fled in panic towards the Church of Eternal Flame on Temple Isle. After being besieged by the temple guards, Ciri activated the power of the Elder Blood and disappeared, and Dandelion was captured by the temple guards."
Geralt leaned back in his chair. "Hmm, it seems Ciri isn't in Novigrad either. My next step is to head to the Skellige Isles. Triss and the others' escape plan has been funded by a benefactor and should be launched in the next few days. I'll leave after I see them off."
Triss tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. "Our patron, Mrs. Wiggibud, has offered to donate a large sum of money to help the wizards in the city escape."
Of course, this comes with a condition: we must send her son, Albert Wiggibud, out of the city because he is being hunted by witch hunters for his passion for alchemy.
To avoid being detected by the witch hunters, Lady Wiggibund orchestrated a masquerade ball, planning to use the noisy atmosphere and spectacular fireworks as cover for Albert's quiet departure.
She paused, then added, "The ball will be held at the Wiggibund family estate, and all the city's celebrities will be there."
"Oh, I know about this ball too. Our Mr. Luwen brought us our first big order, and the drinks for the ball are provided by Carradine Winery. This is an important event to promote blackberry mead to the aristocratic class."
Erwin adjusted his glasses. "Dudu and I have been busy with this these past few days, checking everything from the bottle packaging to the delivery route. Mrs. Wiggibund is extremely particular about details, and this event absolutely cannot go wrong."
A slight smile appeared on his lips. "Ron, why don't you join in the fun? Lady Wiggibund's dinner parties are always known for their extravagance and luxury in Novigrad."
"Me? Going to a masquerade ball? Come on, what difference does it make whether I wear a mask or not?"
Erwin chuckled. "Haha, that's true, but not many people in Novigrad know you right now, so it's hard to say what will happen in the future."
"Never mind," Ron stood up and walked to the window, looking at the witch hunters patrolling the street.
"The atmosphere in Novigrad has been tense these past few days. It seems the witch hunters have finally realized something is wrong and have started searching for Mange. It's best if I don't show myself in public at this time."
He suddenly turned around. "Oh, right, was that Henry I saw downstairs just now?"
"Yes, I brought him here to find suitable medicinal herbs. This kid, like you, always brings unexpected surprises."
Erwin turned to another page. "Little Henry is also an alchemist. The potions he makes are surprisingly effective, but many of the ingredient names here are different from his original records, so we need to check them again. He and Aina were exchanging potion-making experiences at the manor."
He took out three small bottles from his bag. "There are three kinds of medicines that have been restored so far: chamomile preparation to speed up the recovery of the wounded, which can significantly shorten the recovery period for soldiers after they are injured; Lazarus medicine to immediately heal injuries, which is similar to Geralt's Swallow, but not as effective, but the advantage is that it is not poisonous and can be used by ordinary people. The patrolling regular army can carry it with them as first aid supplies; and there is something called Lion Stance perfume, which is said to increase the attractiveness of men to the opposite sex."
He blinked: "This is a good thing. It can be used as an important commodity for our circulation. I dare say that when this thing appears on the market, those rich young nobles will go crazy and stuff crowns into our hands."
Geralt looked curiously at the Lion Stance Potion on the table, a small blue glass bottle. He picked it up and sprinkled it lightly on himself, then turned to Triss. "Triss, do I look different?"
Triss tilted her head, scrutinizing him, and couldn't help but chuckle. "Um... he seems a bit more energetic?"
Ron smirked. "Geralt, you should groom your beard. No amount of perfume can save your stubble-covered face."
Geralt stroked his chin. "If Dandelion knew about this perfume, he would beg you to sell it to him, even if it meant emptying his own pockets. After all, for him, as long as he can attract those wealthy ladies, the investment in the potion is nothing."
"Speaking of Dandelion," Erwin put away the potion.
"My senior is setting up the opening ceremony for Kingfisher downstairs. I have to say, he really has a good sense of aesthetics. No major changes were needed; just adding some design elements to the original design resulted in a more elegant and artistic feel."
Erwin put down the notepad. "Inviting him to join was the right decision, but Ron, what exactly did you offer him? Didn't Priscilla say he always wanted to open his own inn? Giving up on his plans so quickly?"
Ron walked back to his seat. "I traded 40% of Kingfisher's shares for Vanilla Inn and his joining us. After all, Vanilla Inn is in a dilapidated state, and the funds needed for renovation and hiring staff are considerable. Now, I can get a high-end tavern that he can run entirely without worrying about funding. It's convenient and satisfies my pursuit of art. Why would I refuse?"
Ron picked up his glass and took a sip. "Of course, most importantly, Priscilla has a long-term cooperation agreement with us. She is Kingfisher's exclusive theater consultant. Dandelion opening his own tavern is like going head-to-head with Kingfisher and Priscilla. He knows Priscilla's abilities all too well."
"What should we do with the Vanilla Inn? It's such a waste to leave it vacant," Elwin asked.
"Have you sent someone to contact that elf dumpling shop I mentioned before?"
"Of course," Erwin nodded. "I investigated using Mr. Reuven's information. The shop owner's name is Hatori, and he is indeed a renowned swordsmith, famous for the exquisite and elegant craftsmanship of elven artisans."
As he later said, he was forced to close his shop due to suppression from his competitors. However, the matter has been resolved, and he is willing to join us, since our conditions are much more lenient than those of underground gangs.
Erwin turned a page of the briefing. "There's been a little incident on this matter. Mr. Cleaver personally went to warn those who tried to interfere and gave you his regards."
It seems he has already discovered our true identities. Of course, perhaps Mr. Lu Wen intentionally allowed him to find out. With his intelligence control capabilities, if he didn't want anyone to know something, Clifford would never find out anything.
Ron looked at Dudu and said, "Well, Dudu, if you have the chance, go and visit Mr. Clifford for me. Tell him I remember his favor."
Dudu straightened his bow tie and grinned.
"No problem, I've been wanting to go for a while now. Our business will inevitably have to deal with them to run smoothly, so this is a good opportunity. Besides, I know a bit about them. When I was doing business investments myself, I figured out how the underground forces operate."
"Erwin, the Vanilla Inn has been reopened. The first floor will serve as Hatori's workshop, offering high-end weapon customization services. The second floor will sell weapons and armor from our Hydraulic Workshop. Bulk orders are welcome, but large orders require advance booking."
"No problem," Erwin quickly noted. "The dwarven construction team in charge of the Kingfisher is doing a very good job with the renovations. Once this is finished, they can be sent directly to the Vanilla Inn. I will notify Hatori to go there and design the workshop layout according to his work requirements."
"Oh, by the way, Hatori said he'd like to have a weapon custom-made for you as a thank-you gift. You'd better go there in person when you have time and tell him what kind of weapon you need."
Ron pondered for a moment. "Speaking of which, elven craftsmen should know how to make bows and arrows, right? I'll find some time to go there; I really need a usable heavy bow."
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