I head out the gate without much trouble again, making sure my adventurers' guild tag is clearly visible. Paying the admission fee certainly is paying off already and that isn't even accounting for coin earned doing quests. Ha, if anything not being bothered by guards, or at least not much, is almost priceless. Sure, I could find other ways, but it's so much better if I don't even have to bother. Seriously, this is the best.

The streets outside the walls are even more busy than the ones inside. No doubt about it, the wall and the gate, or rather the guards committing daylight robbery on anyone who wants to take anything of worth through, make a difference. Sure the wealthier merchants do business inside the walls whenever they can, but overall more business might be done out here everything considered.

I don't have any actual business in mind, but I help myself to a quick snack along the way, as a cart with fresh carrots hits a bump in the road. I mean, why wouldn't I if all I have to do is grab the carrot that is already falling off the cart anyway? It would just go to waste otherwise. A slight increase for my [Sleight of Hand] skill is much appreciated too. Even more so as it results in a level up notifications.

[*Ding!* Your skill Sleight of Hand has leveled up to level 7!]

This one counts as progress for my masked mediator class and it indirectly improves my agility a little too.

I don't stick around to find out if the farmer riding on the cart noticed, but that isn't exactly much trouble either. I just take a right and then a quick left a moment later, in alleys much to narrow for any cart, and I'm well out of sight. And along the way, I polish the root vegetable on the sleeve of my blouse a little. Eating it raw isn't exactly my first choice, but carrots aren't the worst option if you have to make do like that. This one especially is actually a little sweet. Not like the sugar apples I have head, but sweet enough anyway. Its size isn't too shabby either.

Oh yes, it's good to be me. As I make my way through the neighborhood near the downstream waterfront, I decide to check up on the rascals I had to deal with recently as well. I do so while blending in with the crowd to the best of my not exactly inconsiderable ability and earn some progress for my [Stealth] skill like that too.

There is nothing much to be said about the youngsters. They are actually walking the straight and narrow, at least for now. I still wonder if I might be able to use them to my advantage sometime in the future anyway. The apprentice smith lad and the apprentice leather worker gal, they could come in handy one of these days. Well, I guess we'll see.

For now my next stop is Rysia's shop of witchcraft. I'm actually looking forward to it and not just because I hope to gain valuable information from the witch herself either. It's a very pleasant little place and maybe Brygida and her familiar Captain Whiskers are in too. I sure wouldn't mind seeing the two either. It has been the junior witch who taught me how to meditate after all. And the cat, well I like her too. She is a tough little cookie after all.

In fact he place is already coming in sight, just as rustic as I remember it. After stopping to knock on the door, not too loud, but loud enough to make my presence known, I open it and enter. I can hear Rysia work somewhere in the back and her daughter is actually sitting in sight of the door, sorting through a basket of fresh herbs. Herbs she probably collected herself not too long ago. She is quick to flash me a smile.

"Viviona! Welcome! What can we do for you? Or are you here for a quest?"

A puzzled frown makes its way onto her face as she thinks about it herself for a moment. Then she shakes her head.

"No, we don't have any open requests, or do we?"

It's not her mother who answers but the cat napping on a shelf besides the young witch.

"Meow."

I have no clue what she actually means by that, but it sounded kind of matter of fact like. With a little reprimand on the side. It certainly makes Brygida blush a little.

I'm quick to speak up to provide some clarification.

"No quests. No business either. Probably. Not the kind that involves herbs or potions anyway. I was wondering if either you or your mother could give me some advice."

It's like my words are a summoning spell. As I finish speaking the elder witch joins us.

"Advice you say? Well, we certainly can try. So, what is this about? What do you need help with?"

I clear my throat and join the elder witch at the counter, positioning myself in such a way that my words will easily reach the younger witch too though. And she will be within my field of view like this too. It would be kind of impolite to turn my back on her after all.

"Well, it's about ghosts on one hand and enchantments on the other. Enchantments that would allow me to deal with ghosts to be a little more specific."

Brygida is the first to respond.

"Oh! Ghosts! Those can be troublesome!"

The cat at her side stretches and decides to add her own take on things.

"Mew …"

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

It almost sounds like she wants to say that her witch shouldn't make ghosts sound like that much trouble? Combined with her lazy stretch Captain Whiskers certainly seems not very troubled by the topic.

The elder witch in turn snorts in amusement.

"Oh, that is such a typical cat attitude. Of course ghosts aren't much trouble to you, you little rascal. If you haven't noticed though, Viviona isn't exactly a cat?"

Captain Whiskers actually glances my way at those words, as if she had to make sure that the elder Witch isn't pulling her paws.

Rysia just keeps going in the meantime.

"Come, have a seat. I'll get us some tea and cookies. I have a fresh batch."

"Meow."

"Alright, you scoundrel, and a bowl with milk for you."

The cat jumps off the shelf and slinks over to jump up ob the counter instead to wait for her promised treat, while Brygida gets me a chair before moving her own over too.

A little later Rysia returns first with the promised cookies, and the bowl with milk and, after a second trip, with tea for the rest of us.

In the meantime I'm left wondering if dealing with ghosts would really be easier if I were … a cat. Well, it's an idle thought anyway. My shape shifting ability is not up to a change like that yet. I'd need to upgrade it somehow first. A task that probably would require more than just skill levels too.

Considering the way the girl and the cat eye me, can they tell what I'm thinking? Probably not, but I decide to provide a distraction anyway. Who knows, if I spin it right I might just be able to glean some more useful information.

"What's this about cats and ghosts?"

The cat doesn't answer, too focused on the bowl of milk now and the girl is quick to snag one of the cookies. Thus it's the mother who has to provide an answer in the end.

"Don't ask me how exactly it works, but cats can interact with spirits. Spirits of nature or the restless spirits of the dead, doesn't matter, neither are beyond a cat's touch, or the cat's claws for that matter."

I nod as if I understood, although it's clear by the look on my face that I don't have a clue.

"I guess that's that? It's a cat thing."

"Meow."

This time Captain Whiskers sounds almost authoritative. It's almost like that single sound translates to something like, damn right it is.

Both witches giggle now. Finally the cat's young witch, Brygida, speaks up again, her cookie already half gone.

"She seems to be of the opinion that the only enchantment you need to deal with ghosts is one that turns you into a cat."

I blink in surprise. Finally I nod.

"Well, she's right where she's right. No doubt that would do the trick. Except, turning into a cat is more tricky than one might belief if you aren't born as one. Despite my many talents I'm not sure I could pull it off."

Once I'm done talking I grab a cookie too, before they are all gone. A carrot is nice, but these … well, these are most certainly better! Crunchy on the outside, soft and moist on the inside and sweet all over. And if I'm not mistaken there has to be at least a little almond in there and of course plenty of honey. It takes serious effort to enjoy it at a sedate pace instead of gobbling it all up in one go.

Finally it's the witch mother who sheds a little more light on my dilemma.

"Well, to fight ghosts with a sword like yours you either need a blessing on it or a ghost touch enchantment and I'm afraid to say, the latter is a little beyond my capabilities. You'll have an easier time to find a cleric to bless your sword to be perfectly honest."

I nod along. So far this doesn't come as a surprise. It mirrors what I read in The unquiet dead and how to deal with them, by Bianka the Pale. I let out a long sigh.

"I guess there really is no easy way to deal with ghosts. Especially if it's lots of ghosts and for the better part not the ones of nice and even tempered people."

Now that comment earns me raised eyebrows. Even from the cat. I decide to elaborate before they can ask.

"I was out at Hangman's Hill a while ago. The place is bad. Real bad. Bad enough that I came to the conclusion that maybe I should try to do something about it even if there is neither a quest nor a reward for it."

"That's …"

Before Rysia can say anything else I'm quick to interrupt her.

"No, not really. Not if you meant to say selfless anyway. I happen to like living in this place, people and all. Would be a shame if something were to happen to it or them, you know."

Rysia snorts in amusement while her daughter giggles. The cat in turn lets out a meowing sound that somehow sounds like agreement. It's the older witch who speaks up again before long while sip some tea.

"Well, you came here for advice. Sadly I can't offer much in regards to enchantments. It's simply not my specialty. As for ghosts though, well, you should be in luck generally speaking. Unless there is an actual necromancer controlling and empowering them you at least don't have to worry about them showing actual cooperation."

She pauses briefly to drink some tea herself.

"You better still bring someone to watch your back if it's as bad as you think it is. Even if they don't cooperate to lure you into a trap or anything like that they still wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of a distraction. So if you fight one ghost another certainly might try to jump your back. Especially out at Hangman's Hill. People that meet their end there usually weren't pleasant to begin with even in life. I doubt any of them would have changed for the better after coming back as vengeful ghosts driven by wrath or other base emotions."

Brygida shares some words of wisdom too, but only after her mother falls silent and she finishes her next cookie.

"Light. Bright light. Ghosts don't like it. It won't actually hurt them or anything, but they'll shy back a bit. It might buy you a moment or two. Torches, candle lanterns or oil lamps aren't bright enough though. You'd need something more powerful. Probably at least a powerful light spell."

Her mother, visibly proud of her, elaborates further after the girl falls silent again.

"Daylight at the very least. It's the uncommon evolution of the common Light spell. The Sunburst spell, the rare evolution of the Daylight spell, would be even better. That one is the true bane of all unquiet dead, not just ghosts. Only some very few truly monstrous undead with high level spell resistance skills can weather even just one of those. You'd have to be very careful when using that spell though or you could end up giving yourself severe sunburn as well."

I let out another sigh as I finish my tea.

"So I need to learn how to bless my weapon. Learning to cast light spells wouldn't hurt either. Getting those to evolve probably won't be easy either. And I better bring someone to watch my back too. Does that just about sum it up?"

Both witches nod in unison. Once again my [Gather Information] skill improves a little. But I'm left with another question or two yet again.

"Very well. Now, where might I be able to learn that basic light spell you mentioned? And how much might it cost me?"

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