The warm ball of light slowly slid down to the skies in the west. Aftering back to Lofoten, the witcher wasted no time in asking all the vigers about the case, but everything they knew was everything Eji and Eva told him.


    And then he ran into a young man.


    An old oak tree with entwining roots and a huge canopy stood in the eastern part of the vige, and it was there ad of about fourteen years old came to see them.


    Compared to the average Skellige man, thisd was scrawny. He only donned a rough x shirt and greyish-white jacket. He looked so weak, a gust of wind was probably strong enough to blow him all the way to Ard Skellig. His hands were covered in calluses and frostbite. Obviously, the boy came from a poor family.


    He had freckles on his nose, his hair was short, unkempt, and grey. His face was red from all the sea breeze blowing on him, and his eyes were blue, but he had this sheepish look to him. He was fidgeting, hesitating to speak. "Krott, Mr. Pitt, are you trying to find Ortn?"


    Roy smiled at thed warmly. "What is your name, child? Do you have news about Ortn?"


    Roy wasn''t that much older than thed, but his smile was so inviting and warm. Thed trusted him for some reason. "My name''s Yank, and I need your help, please. If you find Ortn, can you ask him where my father is?"


    "Can you give me more details?" Roy cocked his eyebrow. "What''s your father''s name, and what does Ortn have to do with him?"


    Noticing Yank''s hesitation, Krott shook his head, sighing. He exined, "His father''s a man called nden. They live in Ivy Vige just east of Lofoten, but nden''s not a reputable man. Never works and gambles all his coins away. Never cares about his family either, but it''s been a while since he showed up. Sorry, Yank."


    "It''s alright. That''s the truth anyway." Yank shook his head, looking dejected. "My father used to spend all his time in Ard Skellig''s gambling dens. Gambled all our money away, and ma got so angry, she fell ill. But about a year ago, my father went missing."


    Roy stared into Yank''s eyes. "And what makes you think Ortn took him away?"


    Yank pursed his lips and stared at the nearby vige, where smoke billowed in the air. "It was about a year ago, at midnight. I woke up and had to pee, so I went outside. Then I saw nden and some guy talking under the roof. They then left into the wilds. ''Twas a bit far from where I stood, so I couldn''t hear them, but that man didn''t look like a Skelliger at all. Acted like them snobbishndlubbers. When I came to Lofoten to see my friend, he told me that the man''s name was Ortn. When he came home the next day, he started acting weird. Would never talk to me or ma unless he wanted money, nor would he show us any pity, but the way he looked at us that day…"


    There was surprise in Yank''s eyes. "There was guilt in his eyes, so I wondered what he did with Ortn that night to make him change so much. So I pretended to fall asleep for the next few days while I was actually keeping an eye on him, and I found out they went out for a week. Then came that fateful day. He took me over to ma''s sickbed and talked to us about a lotta things, something he never did. Repented on what he did and started cryin'' so loud, I could go deaf. An'' he made me promise I would take care of ma. He then left some money on the table and left. Never came back since."


    "Why didn''t you tell us about it?" Krott smacked Yank''s shoulder, admonishing him.


    "Ma didn''t let me. I mean, the money is…" Yank fidgeted.


    <em>Ah, I see, </em>Krott thought. <em>Their gambler of a father left and gave them a sizable amount of money. There was no need to tell anyone about it, or they might get jealous. </em>"So why are you telling us now?"


    "Ma got better, and we''ve almost used up the money anyway. And the more I thought about what happened that week, the more I thought somethin'' was off." Yank looked at them again. "Back when nden left, the way he talked, he looked like he was, he was…"


    "Leaving hisst will and testament," said the witcher grimly.


    "Exactly! nden might be a gambler who doesn''t give a rat''s arse about his family, but he''s still my da." Yank ruffled his hair and took a deep breath. "I want to find out where he''s gone. Ma''s getting better and can start doing chores now, and she misses him sometimes too. Ortn must’ve had somethin'' to do with it."


    <em>Yeah. </em>Roy nodded. <em>Meeting up at night for a week, leaving some money for his family, and going missing. Of course Ortn took him away. </em>"I guess that the money''s from Ortn as well?"


    Yank nodded.


    Pity shed in Krott''s eyes, and he consoled, "Maybe that''s money for your father''s services. nden might be a gambler, but he''s a strong guy. He can be a good bodyguard."


    "Really?" Yank''s eyes shone with hope.


    Roy shook his head. Judging from the story, that money was payment for nden''s life. The life of a chronic gambler. nden must be dead by now, but he didn''t want to crush thed''s hope. "Do you remember how long it''s been since your father''s disappearance?" Roy asked.


    Yank answered without hesitating, "I made a record every month after his disappearance. It''s been a year and four months since then."


    Roy''s eyes glinted, and he quickly plugged that info into the timeline of this story. <em>Two years ago, Ortn and Eva got married and had four months of fun on this ind. Then came four months of neglect. Then two months of Ortn''s infidelity, and then he disappeared. Eva remarried two monthster, and it has been one year since. Which means thed''s father disappeared between the period of neglect and infidelity.</em>


    <em>Ortn first took nden away and led three women who look like Eva to the ind. Two seemingly unrted cases, but perhaps they share a connection? </em>Roy started wondering about a question. <em>Is Ortn actually a casanova, or is he just using these people to achieve a goal?</em>


    He had a strong feeling that the answer to these questions were hidden in Ortn''s secretb somewhere on this ind.


    "You have to help me, Krott, Mr. Pitt. I just want to talk to nden," thed pleaded.


    "Tell me more about your father. His age, looks, height, everything," said Roy.


    "He''s about six feet tall and a hundred and eighty pounds heavy. Muscr, gray hair, has a faint mustache, and he''s thirty-five this year."


    "I see. I''ll tell you once I have news." Roy patted his shoulder and saw thed off.


    He then looked at the skies. The sun was setting, and ayer of crimson light was draped over the houses of the vige. "Let''s go. Eva should''ve calmed down now. We should see her again." <em>If I want to find Ortn''s secretb, I''ll have to start from his wife. She used to be the closest person to him, after all.</em>


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