Geralt cautiously followed Karl through the brand new wooden door.
The door led to a slightly dimly lit space, the air filled with the familiar smells of ale, roasted meat, and aged wood.
However, the daily bustle suddenly dropped a few decibels the moment they entered.
The inn's waiters, the barmaids wiping glasses, and even a few drinkers throwing dice all looked in unison at Karl.
"Lord Karl!" Several respectful greetings rang out almost simultaneously.
The innkeeper, who had been sitting behind the counter distractedly wiping a pewter wine glass with a greasy rag, suddenly froze mid-motion.
He felt as if he'd been pricked by a needle and immediately dropped the cup and rag, his stout body moving out from behind the counter with an agility that belied his size.
His face was full of almost fawning smiles, and he bowed slightly: "Lord Karl! Welcome! Our humble establishment... is honored by your presence!"
His voice trembled with excitement, and his eyes were full of admiration.
Karl simply waved his hand casually, but his gaze had already swept past the innkeeper and landed on the slender figure sitting with its back to them at the counter.
The iconic black and white outfit, the scent of cloves and currants—all revealed the other party's identity.
Almost simultaneously with recognizing Yennefer, Geralt's steps faltered.
Then, quite naturally, he retreated half a step, hiding behind Karl's slightly broader back.
Karl felt the movement behind him, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
He turned his head and lowered his voice with mock severity: "Geralt, can you show some of that courage you have when facing a Striga?"
"Right now, you don't live up to the arrogant and ruthless reputation of the 'White Wolf' at all."
When Geralt heard this, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he let out a slight, awkward cough.
A flicker of embarrassment passed through his amber eyes, but Karl's words seemed to have an effect.
He took a deep breath, as if gathering his courage.
Finally, he stepped forward, walking alongside Karl, though his back still looked a bit stiff.
He couldn't explain why, when facing Yennefer, the calm and tough spirit he could maintain before ordinary people and even monsters always instantly crumbled,
making him once again the weak party who seemed to have done something wrong and didn't know what to do.
Karl rolled his eyes helplessly, knowing Geralt's "fear."
This guy, in front of Yennefer, was someone who could neither fight back nor curse.
He said nothing more, and they walked silently towards the counter.
Halfway there, when still seven or eight steps from Yennefer, Karl took the initiative to stop.
He had originally planned to signal Geralt with his eyes to go alone, and wait here to watch the show.
After all, a young couple flirting was a bit awkward for him to interfere with.
Before Karl could say anything, the innkeeper beside him, who had been watching their expressions, immediately understood.
With an expression that said "I understand, I completely understand," he bowed respectfully to Karl.
Then, without hesitation, he turned and, almost on tiptoe, hurried back to the kitchen as fast as he could, taking the door with him.
He understood perfectly that the personal conversations of great figures, especially involving a sorceress, were best left unseen.
Seeing this, Karl had no choice but to sit down at an empty table about two meters from the counter.
He leaned back, one hand casually resting on the table, ready to enjoy the long-awaited drama.
Geralt glanced at Karl, who was already ready to watch the show, and this time didn't hesitate or flinch.
Avoidance was no longer possible. He straightened his chest again, his heart still wavering,
but he still took firm steps towards the shadow that made him both yearn for and fear.
Just as Geralt was a step away from Yennefer, his lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say her name—Yen.
At that moment, Yennefer, who had been sitting motionless as a sculpture, suddenly moved, turning smoothly and slowly.
On that face, delicate as porcelain and radiating mature charm, there was no overt anger, only calm.
A sharp light flashed in her violet eyes.
There was no incantation, no complex gestures, even no obvious precursors of gathering magic.
At least Geralt's medallion remained still. Yennefer simply raised her right hand, clad in a black glove.
Her slender index finger pointed directly at the nearby Geralt.
CRACKLE! ZING! A dazzling white lightning bolt, as thick as an arm, burst from her finger in an instant.
The lightning tore through the relatively dim space of the inn, striking straight at Geralt's face.
Geralt's expression changed dramatically; he hadn't expected Yennefer to act directly without a word, and with such a fast spell attack.
But the Witcher reacted much faster than an ordinary person, almost the same moment the lightning appeared.
He let out a low growl, quickly crossing his arms in front of his chest, his five fingers interlocking rhythmically in a strange pattern.
BOOM! A somewhat unstable blue, slightly thin energy shield instantly opened before him.
The Heliotrop Sign—a life-saving measure used by Witchers to defend against spell attacks.
BOOM!! The lightning struck hard, shattering the Sign's shield, the dazzling light illuminating the entire inn's hall.
The hastily formed shield clearly couldn't fully withstand Yennefer's strike, even though she held back.
The moment it touched, the shield's surface was covered in web-like cracks, emitting a deafening crack.
Although most of the lightning's energy was negated by the Sign, a few scattered electric snakes, as thick as fingers,
shot out from the sides and back—precisely where Karl was sitting—at astonishing speed.
Karl, who had been leisurely watching the battle, narrowed his eyes the moment Yennefer turned and raised her hand.
When the lightning shot towards Geralt, and the subsequent arcs headed his way,
Karl's expression remained unchanged, and he switched to observation mode.
His gaze swept over the scattered electric light, and he looked intently at Yennefer.
Although Yennefer never looked directly at him, seeming to focus all her attention on Geralt,
his perception was far beyond that of ordinary people, and he still caught the fleeting glance from the corner of her eye.
"So, this was intentional?" Karl's heart instantly understood.
"She had long expected Geralt to use the Sign to resist, and calculated the direction of the energy overflow after the Sign was broken..."
"It seems this is a small lesson for Geralt, but in reality, she wants to take the opportunity to test me?"
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