"This is the last vague information sent by the twelve-man knight team, as well as some assumptions about the Striga from two other court mages, most of which, of course, turned out to be incorrect."
Triss immersed herself in her collection of books and the spellbooks she had brought, searching for reliable information about the rare and dangerous monster—the Striga.
"Ordinary Strigas are extremely agile, with sharp claws and paralyzing toxins, and they can emit piercing screams capable of stunning or even killing ordinary people."
Triss explained to Karl, flipping through heavy ancient tomes.
"They fear fire and hate the smell of black vinegar and garlic, but these substances can barely drive them away, not kill them."
"Only tableware, especially silver or sterling silver weapons, can effectively damage them."
"Magical dust from a bomb called Moon Dust... This dust can make them visible when they are invisible and allow them to be identified."
"Well, the recipe for this alchemical bomb is in the hands of the Witchers, but I can try to make it."
And Triss's most important task was to try to master Arzu's two lost spells.
The incantation for Arzu's Thunderbolt was extremely complex and difficult, and the magic contained within it was majestic and violent.
Triss only tried to recite the mantra, the shortest of which was a syllable of the mantra.
The ancient word seemed to possess actual weight and the force of thunder.
As soon as she barely uttered the twisted syllable, she felt a terrible magic suddenly recoil upon her.
"Ugh!" She clutched her throat in pain and coughed violently, her face instantly paling, even a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth.
...…
Over the next few days, her throat felt as if it were burned with a soldering iron; she couldn't make a sound.
And her muscles and meridians throughout her body occasionally felt needle-like pains—a typical symptom of incorrect spellcasting and backlash.
When Triss was injured from studying the spell, Karl was very worried and took good care of her, feeding her soothing herbal mixtures and pressing a cold cloth to her forehead, accompanying her day and night.
After Triss's injury slightly improved, and she could speak quietly,
she shook her head at Karl with lingering fear and wrote on paper: "No... The power level of Arzu's Thunderbolt is too high, and the spell structure is perfect and strict."
"Any small error in tone or mana flow can lead to a catastrophic backlash."
"With my ability, I can't control it now."
There was reluctance in her eyes, but also admiration for Arzu, who had created this spell.
So Triss could only devote all her energy to the relatively gentler Arzu's Shield.
The incantation for Arzu's Shield, though equally ancient and complex,
had a magical flow more focused on protection and stability, and the risk of backlash was much lower than that of the Thunderbolt, which sought absolute destruction.
At this time, Triss demonstrated her outstanding talent for magic.
Instead of trying to force a recitation, she first carefully analyzed the magical meaning of each character and simulated its energy pattern.
After several days of forgetting to eat and sleep, she was finally able to attempt it for the first time.
Instead of casting the spell on Karl, she carefully chose a guinea pig used for magical experiments in the laboratory as her target.
She held her breath and recited the short incantation with precise intonation, her hands gesturing to draw complex patterns.
In an instant, a layer of circular energy shield, invisible to the naked eye but indestructible in magical perception, instantly enveloped the oblivious guinea pig.
The shield lasted for over ten seconds before gradually dissipating.
At that moment, Triss tried to shoot fireballs at the shield, and some bounced back.
Other fireballs, on the contrary, disappeared silently after a strong impact, and the shield didn't move at all.
...…
"Phew, I finally managed it!" Triss's pale face finally flushed with excitement.
Although this spell consumed almost half of her mana, it proved that this path was possible.
She began to practice constantly, shortening the casting time, reducing mana consumption, and increasing the spell's strength,
striving to turn this long-lost guardian spell into a reliable method for actual combat.
While Triss diligently studied Arzu's Shield, Karl was sunbathing in a recliner, holding a book to check information about the Striga.
At the gates of Vizima, an unexpected person quietly appeared.
He rode a calm pack horse named "Roach."
The guest was dressed in dusty leather armor, with a long sword on his back, and a second sword lay on the horse's saddlebag.
His hair was a rare ashen white, tied at the back of his head with a leather cord, and his face was covered with frost and barely visible scars.
The most striking thing was his amber cat-like vertical pupils.
Geralt—a Witcher who had not yet become famous.
He ignored the voices of the citizens around him, mixed with curiosity, fear, contempt, and whispers of "freak" and "mutant."
He immediately headed to the notice board at the city gate, his sharp gaze scanning the announcements for help or reward postings.
And his appearance was like a stone thrown into a calm pond, and the news quickly spread through the first layers and finally reached Foltest's ears.
"A Witcher? Finally, one has come?" Foltest was a bit surprised, but didn't look particularly excited.
Compared to the shock and hope brought by witnessing Karl's strength firsthand,
the belated Witcher no longer seemed like the only option.
But he still took note and sent someone to invite Geralt to the palace, and also sent someone to invite Karl.
...
Thus, a rather unusual meeting began in Foltest's council chamber.
On one side stood the Witcher, Geralt, with an expressionless face and a cold aura.
On the other side stood the young knight, Karl, with a tall posture and restrained bearing, yet possessing explosive strength.
Foltest sat on the throne, his eyes moving between them.
"Lambert, you're a bit late, but still a welcome guest," Foltest said, then pointed to Karl.
As for why Foltest called Geralt "Lambert"—naturally, because Geralt was using an alias.
Before confirming whether a situation would turn out good or bad, Geralt would use the name Lambert.
When things went well, he would use his real name, and vice versa.
"This is Karl, the champion of the recent tournament, and he will be in charge of dealing with Adda... that thing."
Geralt's amber pupils turned to Karl and looked at him calmly.
He sensed not the slightest trace of magic from the young man, because the medallion on his neck didn't tremble.
On the other hand, there were no mutations unique to Witchers, and the characteristics were similar to an exceptionally strong human.
Foltest, perhaps wanting to emphasize Karl's reliability, added: "Don't underestimate him, Witcher."