Chapter 226: Hoge Must Die
"How does it feel?"
Inside Taenseel's forge.
Taenseel and Berengar looked on expectantly as Lynn, now clad in the first set of Grandmaster-grade armor they had crafted, stood before them.
The diagrams for the Grandmaster Ursine armor set were not found by Lynn in Toussaint but provided by Berengar.
He was an older witcher than Geralt, only slightly younger than Vesemir, but not by much.
Even back at Kaer Morhen, Berengar preferred wielding a hammer to a sword.
Thus, while other witchers weren't interested in diagrams for school gear, Berengar was absolutely captivated by them.
Naturally, he had committed them firmly to memory.
Wolf School armor was a medium armor type.
The standard Wolf School armor was merely a leather jerkin; its protective capabilities could be described as minimal, if not almost non-existent.
However, at the Grandmaster level, the situation became vastly different.
The outer layer was a mixture of steel plates and infused basilisk hide, with a chainmail structure added to the jacket-style leather armor.
The inner lining was further thickened, transformed into a more robust padded armor.
With padded armor and chainmail as two layers of protection, even taking a direct pitchfork stab wouldn't result in a deep wound, preventing a dire situation like Geralt's at the end of the original story.
Furthermore, the core of the Wolf School was alchemy bombs and potions.
Therefore, a tactical bandolier crossed the shoulder and chest, providing fixed spots for alchemy bombs and potions, making them easily accessible.
Lynn drew Gwyhyr, performing a full set of Wolf School sword techniques in the shop, then executing several dodges and large leaps.
Finally, he sheathed his sword.
Taenseel and Berengar looked like schoolchildren who had handed in their test papers and were waiting for their teacher's grade.
"Well?"
Lynn flashed a brilliant smile.
"I'm very satisfied. You both worked hard."
Wolf School armor was a medium armor type, and even the Grandmaster-grade Wolf School armor was still inferior to Grandmaster Ursine heavy armor in terms of protection.
However, it was sufficiently light and flexible.
That was all that mattered.
Because each witcher school's trial of the grasses elixir was different, the mutations produced were also different.
Except for Ursine School witchers, who could move nimbly even when wearing their school's heavy armor...
Witchers from other schools would likely be significantly hindered if they wore it.
The Cat School, which prioritized lightness and agility, might even be completely immobilized.
It wasn't about being heavier being better; rather, what suited one was best.
So, Lynn never demanded that every witcher switch to wearing Grandmaster Ursine heavy armor, because that was simply unrealistic.
Instead of doing that, it was better to have witchers change their mode of operation:
No longer acting as lone wolves, but forming teams to travel.
Just as Napoleon once said: "Three French soldiers cannot defeat two Mamelukes, one hundred French soldiers can hold their own against one hundred Mamelukes, three hundred French soldiers can usually defeat three hundred Mamelukes, and one thousand French soldiers can always defeat fifteen hundred Mamelukes."
Witchers were the same.
If one witcher could only defeat a dozen soldiers, then why not simply increase the number of witchers?
In this era, mercenaries already operated in groups.
The reason witchers typically worked alone wasn't due to some conspiracy; it was purely because the rewards for most monster hunting contracts were barely enough to feed one witcher (and that's assuming the villagers who hired the witcher actually paid up honestly).
If two or three witchers went to take on a monster hunting contract together, the reward would certainly not be enough to split.
It was only for this reason that most witchers were lone wolves.
....
Lynn gave high praise to Taenseel and Berengar's work.
This filled the two with immense emotional value.
They were invigorated, and after only a short rest, they plunged into a new round of forging.
They began crafting Grandmaster-grade equipment for the other witchers.
Seeing them busily working with fervor, Lynn decided not to disturb them further and left the blacksmith shop.
As he passed a bulletin board erected in Hierarch Square, his gaze suddenly flickered to the side, and he saw a freshly posted, brand-new bounty notice at the very top of the board.
His heart stirred, and he walked to the bulletin board, looking at the bounty notice.
It turned out this bounty was for a wicked bear named Hoge.
It stated: This wicked bear was sighted two days ago near a mine outside the city.
It brutally killed three workers and several hunters who attempted to slay it.
Therefore, the mine's owner, Lord Dursley, sought the aid of a witcher to eliminate the wicked bear threatening his mine.
"A wicked bear? Hmm, perhaps I can give it a try. It'll be a good opportunity to test the reliability of this Grandmaster Wolf School armor in actual combat."
Following the location marked on the bounty notice, Lynn quickly found Lord Dursley in a brothel in the lower quarter.
After a brief conversation, Lord Dursley expressed concern about Lynn going alone.
Even if hunters' combat power wasn't as strong as regular soldiers, several hunters had set out to hunt that wicked bear and not a single one returned. This alone was enough to indicate the bear's terror.
Moreover, according to the lumberjacks who escaped when the wicked bear attacked the mine, the bear was as large as a cottage, and its gaping maw could sever a person at the waist.
Therefore, even though the person who answered the call this time was indeed a witcher, Lynn looked too young.
He was a far cry from Lord Dursley's stereotype of a witcher with a fierce expression and grim eyes.
And besides.
Didn't people always say that witchers were ragged and impoverished?
Why was this one dressed so splendidly, giving the impression of a noble knight?
Could it be that his true identity was actually a nobleman?
Lord Dursley couldn't shake his concern.
After failing to persuade him, he had no choice but to gather his lumberjacks and have them follow Lynn to the mine occupied by the wicked bear.
...
The group walked for about an hour outside the city. Everyone except Lynn was panting heavily.
Lynn glanced at the pot-bellied Lord Dursley: "How much further?"
"About five hundred meters more, and we'll be there."
Lord Dursley pulled out a handkerchief, wiping the sweat constantly beading on his forehead. He turned around to see that the lumberjacks who had come with him were at least dozens of meters behind, each looking ready to bolt at any moment.
He couldn't help but feel surprised: "What's wrong with you all? Why are you so far behind? Come on, we still have a few hundred meters to go."
The workers looked at each other.
But no one moved.
Each of them wore a troubled expression.
"Master Dursley, we... we'd better not."
"Yeah, I'm still young, with many days ahead. I don't want to die so early."
"Me too. I have an old mother who's fifty, and a five-month-old baby who needs feeding. If I'm gone, my old mother and child will both starve."
"I don't want to die. I'd rather quit this job."
Lord Dursley's face turned beet red.
However, before he could speak, he heard Lynn say.
"Indeed. Even if an army came for that beast, it would probably cost them hundreds of casualties to kill it."
"You all stay here."
"Lord Dursley, please have my payment ready. I'll be right back."
....
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