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"Your Highness, Your Highness… wake up…"
Yawning, with his eyes and mind still half-asleep, Gustave looked at the blurry figure of his maid. But since he was still in the process of gathering his soul back into his body, he simply scratched his chest and fell back onto the bed.
"Your Highness… it is time to wake up… Master Haxo is already at the door…"
It wasn't until several minutes of being called over and over that he finally got up. Even then, his head still felt like a roller coaster, and his maids had to do their best to bathe and dress him.
"Your Highness, here is your blue sash."
Allowing his maids to place various ornaments on his jerkin—such as the coat of arms and the House of Raven family crest—while the blue sash was tucked neatly at his waist, since it was just a normal day, Gustave rubbed his chin as he looked at his handsome reflection in the mirror.
"You will grow into a handsome young man, Gustave. A handsome young man."
Nodding to himself after that small bit of self-encouragement, he let his maids open the door to his quarters and looked at Haxo, the castellan of Cintra, who regarded him warmly in return.
"Good morning, Prince Gustave. Did you sleep well?"
"Good morning, Mister Haxo. And yes, Gustave slept well, Mister Haxo. Thank you for asking."
"Then shall I show you the way to the Chancellor's Court School of Cintra, Prince Gustave?"
"Gladly, Mister Haxo."
"Oh—yes, Prince Gustave."
"Yes?"
"It is no longer appropriate to call it the Chancellor's Court School of Cintra, because Queen Calanthe wishes to open our court school to the public, just like Oxenfurt. So from now on, our school will be called Academia Cintrensis, as Her Majesty has ordained."
Gustave's eyes widened as he finally remembered—using his [Recall] ability—the university's name being mentioned in the book, or more accurately, in a tiny passage in Lady of the Lake that referred to Cintra's ordinary university during the scene where Geralt and Fringilla had their sex-reading session.
But because that detail had been buried among countless pages of sex scenes, the passage had slipped through his mind once again—much like many of Ortolan's advanced mechanical engineering inventions.
Although this revelation was not as significant as anything related to Ortolan, it still gave him an insight: perhaps Cintra's transformation was happening earlier than he had originally deduced.
The school that was now being opened to the public had been built around the year 1200, which meant the beginning of Cintra's transformation likely started during the era of Calanthe's mother, Adalia.
Maybe he needed to revise his comparison between Cintra and Nilfgaard. Perhaps Adalia was the Torres var Emreis, Calanthe the Fergus var Emreis, and Pavetta was Emhyr himself. But because Pavetta was already dead, Ciri was the one who now took up the mantle in his comparison.
"Master Haxo, this is the list of persons who will attend the blacksmith competition the day after tomorrow, after Samhain Eve."
Taking the fourteenth list from the seneschal's—or steward's—hand, with each previous list belonging to a different field of competition, Haxo said, "Hmm, let me take a look," while walking to the university with Prince Gustave, taking small, careful steps so that the little one could keep up.
"Master Haxo, is there anyone on this list who should not properly be included?"
"Hmm… let's see: Abdullah kh'Amanni from Ofir, Dmitri of Strept, Fedor Ironhand of nowhere, Burdan of Brugge, Yoanvi an Tordarroch from Skellige…"
Raising an eyebrow at the gender indicated on the list, Haxo asked for confirmation, "A female? Are you sure?"
"Yes, Master Haxo. It is indeed the case."
"Well, okay then."
Still not fully accustomed to the male-female equality of the Skelligan people, Haxo continued to read, "Vigi the Smith an Tordarroch, Harald an Tordarroch… oh, this is interesting. The son of the Jarl of Undvik is participating as well. Crach will be overjoyed to see his friend coming."
Continuing for a couple of minutes after Harald, he then reached the bottom of the list, where he found names from outside Skellige and Cintra's vassal states—individuals with a high chance of being spies, whom Her Majesty the Queen had instructed him to keep an eye on.
Even though he didn't understand why the Queen thought this necessary—since it seemed excessive to bar people from outside the Cintrian circle from participating—he knew that the Queen's will was his command, so he didn't dwell on it.
"Vedrir of Cidaris, Radomir of Redenia, Azar Javed of Gesso—"
Gustave's eyes widened, expecting to be surprised by the names. Yet the next entries left him even more astonished and incredibly excited, like a little boy who had just been given his New Year's present.
"Zoltan Chivay from Mahakam, Mislav of Metinna, Borislav of Aedirn, Dodwin Wolwezid of Kaedwen…"
In an instant, expanding every bit of his spirituality, Gustave activated his [Knowledge] to search for his soon-to-be personal blacksmith.
He knew that, just as a barber shared a sacred brotherhood with a man on his Earth, a personal blacksmith for an engineer in this medieval era carried the same significance. And because choosing the right barber was considered a hallowed and sacred act, the same principle applied to selecting a personal blacksmith.
Pouring all of his effort into expanding his spirituality for a couple of minutes, he finally found the dwarf in question emerging from the court office.
He looked eager yet slightly desperate, with cockatiel birds perched on his shoulders, and carried the famous Sihil that had been given to Geralt before they parted ways in the original timeline, fastened to his waist in a scabbard wrapped in tabby cat skins.
Looking at the young dwarf—a young lad whose beard did not even reach his waist, far from the length it would have in Witcher 3—Gustave could see in Zoltan's eyes a mixture of desperation and anticipation for the upcoming event.
He understood that Zoltan had probably just come down from Mahakam, choosing Cintra as his first destination as stated in the book, but was unable to find a stable job and was now facing the harsh reality of life outside his homeland, which explained the look of desperation in the dwarf's eyes.
Gustave could also deduce that, in Zoltan's mind, this competition was a way to prove himself as a rebellious youth from Mahakam—that he could indeed survive outside the mountains, earn enough gold, and contribute positively to society with his burning passion, while trying to prove that his decision to leave his Chivay family was the right one.
Sadly, it seemed the young dwarf would once again be faced with the harsh reality that life was difficult even among the Nordlings, even in Cintra, despite the lack of prejudice among its people. At this time of year, Queen Calanthe was very adamant about not allowing outsiders—anyone not from the surrounding regions of Cintra—to participate.
'But no, for the good of my barber… no, I mean, for the good of my personal blacksmith, I will give him a chance to shine.'
While thinking about how he could allow outsiders to enter the tournament and how to gain Calanthe's permission, Gustave's train of thought was abruptly broken by a loud shout from the Skellige people.
"Dracoturtle!!! On Cintra's shore!!!"
"Eh?! Can it be?!"
"Out of the way!!! Move!!! I'm heading for the clocktower!!!"
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!
Like pandemonium, the first guards of Cintra frantically rushed about, fearing a sudden enemy attack, agitated from having not slept all night because Queen Calanthe had warned of trouble in the palace that very night—trouble he suspected might be because of him, after he had stolen knowledge from the magic academy the previous day.
This was followed by the top-of-the-lungs shouting of the Skellige people, pounding their chests, laughing maniacally, and repeatedly chanting, "Dracoturtle! Dracoturtle! Dracoturtle!" as if possessed, while their swarm of warriors became rabid and sprinted toward the harbor, unsheathing their axes and greatswords.
Finally, Gustave witnessed a scene he would never forget: young Crach, in just his knickers, bolted out of the palace shouting, "My axe! My axe! Where is my axe?!" making the surrounding people laugh, as it was clear Crach had only just gotten out of bed after a brief time with his wives.
Not only that, the scene was accompanied by the dancing and laughter of the priestesses of Freya in the streets, giving thanks to the gods and ancestors for the New Year's Saovine blessing. They quickly found their ointments to smear oils on the foreheads of every Skellige they could reach who wished to enter the harbor, spreading blessings as they went.
Meanwhile, Eist bellowed orders at the top of his lungs to prepare the entire fleet to hunt the majestic beast—not sparing a single Skellige Drakkar he owned. Even the Whale Harpooners were pressed into service, and the islanders began pushing the trebuchets from the armory with all their might.
Seeing Ciri and Cerys suddenly jump out of a window and sprint after the swarm of Skelligan warriors heading to the harbor—but with Ciri caught at the last minute by Vissegard, leaving her whining and angry—Gustave simply observed the chaotic scene in a good mood.
Thinking perhaps this was a New Year's gift for all of them, and with his personal blacksmith now secured, Gustave followed Haxo into the academy with a springy step and a cheerful heart.
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References may break immersion. Just go ahead to the next chapter.
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References
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Haxo, the castellan of Cintra, appears in The Last Wish, in the story A Question of Price. The maids calling him "Master" instead of "Mister" or "Sir" comes from how Geralt addresses Dijkstra as "Master Dijkstra" when they are not yet close. And because Dijkstra is the head of Redania's Secret Service, this suggests that important figures who hold positions in a royal court are addressed with a higher level of respect, depending on the degree of their profession.
A jerkin is a sleeveless fitted jacket that offers mild protection from cuts or scrapes. An interesting fact, Geralt's attire—aside from his headbands—in the books is not like the Kaer Morhen armor from The Witcher 3, but rather more similar to the Manticore Armor or his regular armor from The Witcher 1, where he wears a jerkin over a simple shirt.
I knew I had once read about a regular Cintran university or school somewhere in the books, which is why I initially called it the Chancellor's Court School of Cintra—similar to how noble schools existed in the medieval era in our world. After checking the text, I was right: the official name is Academia Cintrensis. So from now on, I will use that name. (The Lady of the Lake, Chapter 3.)
Another interesting fact: aside from noble schools and the well-known Oxenfurt Academy, the books mention many temple schools where common folk can study—not only the most famous one, the Temple of Melitele. In addition, Beauclair has the largest and best-stocked library in the known world. Fringilla does note, however, "apart from university libraries, naturally," which implies that the Beauclair library may rival those in Aretuza or Oxenfurt, though not to the extent of becoming the top-ranking. (The Lady of the Lake, Chapter 3.)
I use Seneschal instead of "scribe" or "court officer" because it better fits someone serving in Cintra, where many noble houses control their own territories yet remain under Queen Calanthe. "Scribe" doesn't work as well because, for example, Jarre, who is a scribe secretly in love with Ciri at the Neneke Temple, has essentially no authority over provincial administration.
Not only that, I use Seneschal instead of "Steward" because, as far as I have found, only Toussaint uses the title "Steward." The rest—such as Skellige's Arnvald and Nilfgaard's Ceallach aep Gruffyd, father of Cahir—use Seneschal.
Saovine Eve, or Samhain Eve, as mentioned in Tower of the Swallow, Chapter 10, falls at the end of October and the beginning of November. During this time, there is a tradition that all lighting in the home must come from a single source on Samhain Eve, and any candles that have already melted are to be kept until Beltane.
During this period, the Falka figurine is burned, and music is not to be played, for it is the night of witchcraft. To lighten the mood after this solemn night, a joyful celebration follows—a custom to which I have added my own spin. Unlike Velen or Angren, where superstition dominates, Cintra, which has transitioned to a more modern way of thinking like Nilfgaard, treats this night not with fear or superstition but simply as a sacred day of the year.
Abdullah kh'Amanni from Ofir is the father of Dulla kh'Amanni from The Witcher 3. Yoanvi an Tordarroch from Skellige is the mother of Yoana, the Grandmaster blacksmith in Velen in The Witcher 3. Vigi the Smith an Tordarroch is the father of Vigi the Loon. Harald an Tordarroch is the same person but younger, roughly the same age as Crach. Since Undvik has not yet been occupied by Ice Giants, the Tordarroch Clan of blacksmiths continues to work normally.
Azar Javed of Gesso is the same Azar Javed who leads Salamandra, though at this point he is still in exile after being expelled by Ban Ard, searching for a place to hide and live. This occurs just before his journey to Temeria, following his failed attempt to infiltrate the Cintrian court.
The rest of the names on the competition list are just added to fill in the roster.
Zoltan is now a young lad, roughly 16 to 19 by human standards. This is based on Geralt's observation: "A dwarf attains maturity when his beard reaches his waist, which usually occurs at the age of fifty-five. None of the approaching dwarves looked young. But none looked old either." This implies that Zoltan is still very young at this time, likely in his early to late twenties by dwarven standards.
As stated in the books, Zoltan is someone who will do good when he has the chance, even if others are ungrateful—like when he helped women and children flee war-torn lands, and they looked at him and his company of dwarves with scowls, fearful aversion, and ingratitude. (The Witcher 1, Dialogue with Zoltan; Baptism of Fire, Chapter 2)
Because he is still a young lad who has not yet experienced much of the world, the burning passion to do good remains strong in him—much like Geralt when he first left Kaer Morhen, imagining himself as a knight in shining armor at the Crossroads of the Raven (new book).
It is also stated in the Gwent reward tree scrolls: "Zoltan felt a deep, burning desire to do good. However, sensible as the dwarf he was, Zoltan knew that he alone could not change the world for the better. Instead, he chose to do good only for himself and his immediate surroundings."
From both The Witcher 3 and the books, it is clear that Zoltan enjoys raising birds. In this early stage of his life, I gave him cockatiels, which reflect the youthful and lively aspects of his current personality. As for why he does not have a Field Marshal Windbag, as mentioned later in the books, it is simply because that foul-mouthed devil had not yet been born.
Finally, Zoltan's presence in Cintra is explained in the books: "I lived in Cintra before the war, and I heard tales of the Child of Destiny and the white-haired witcher to whom the child was granted." (Baptism of Fire, Chapter 2)
Dracoturtle only appears as a minor tidbit of information in The Sword of Destiny short story Little Sacrifice, but in the Gwent card game and the comic—which I have not read yet—there are many references. I will go with the design from Gwent because, from a glance at The Witcher: Matters of Conscience comic, the Dracoturtle looks much cooler in Gwent version.
Although Essi Daven does not explicitly state that Dracoturtle lives on Dragons Fangs—the place where she mentioned Dracoturtle to Geralt—the tone of her voice suggests she is certain it does. Thus, like Dol Dhu Lokke, Dragons Fangs will also be a place inhabited by monsters that seem to come straight from myth, much like the Dracoturtle, which is inspired by the Chinese myth of the Dragon Turtle.
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