Chapter Eighty-Nine: The Reason for Batman's Return

Yuri Knight Roderick de Vet—this name was not unfamiliar to Victor. Ever since Batman’s last marathon, he had made sure to accord the organization that nearly caught him the respect it deserved.

The Royal Guard Knights were, of course, commanded by King Foltest himself, with two vice-captains: Princess Ada and Mayor Velerad. The half of the forces under Ada’s name were not managed directly by the princess; the most trusted aide in her service was the knight before him, Roderick. A native of Nilfgaard, Roderick’s path to advancement was strewn with thorns, but with Princess Ada’s support, he held considerable real power.

Accepting the invitation with both hands, Victor maintained a respectful and earnest demeanor, carefully placing the invitation in a cabinet before turning back to converse with the knight.

Not only did he appear utterly unremarkable, he seemed like an unsophisticated country bumpkin who had seen little of the world. Roderick was all the more pleased with the performance of this so-called “Heavenly Voice,” and so he decided, proactively, to offer a few pointers that would help Victor better please the princess.

“The court banquet the day after tomorrow is to celebrate the season of harvest, the arrival of autumn. The poems and melodies to be performed should all be cheerful. Among the distinguished guests will be Sir Jacques, commander of the Order of the Flaming Rose; Captain Vincent of the City Guard; ... and royal adviser Keira Metz, and royal adviser Triss Merigold!”

As he listened to the names of these prominent figures, the bard remained silent, but as the last name was spoken, he could not help but exhale softly.

The rest were of little concern—he maintained friendly relations with them. Correction: Keira Metz was still rather intimidating, but compared to the last person, she was nothing.

The Fourteenth of the Hill, a founding member of the Lodge of Sorceresses, the Fearless Merigold, Flame of Merigold, Wielder of Azurla’s Thunder, one of White Wolf Geralt’s two true loves, and someone whom Ciri regarded as a sister—merely listing her titles made it clear that her status and power were second to none.

To any former player, Triss Merigold’s presence outshone that of all others combined at any banquet—one could even say she was “Half the City of Vizima” by herself.

What did that mean? Lean back and consider it. Half the city’s presence could not compare with hers.

The excitement and anticipation of finally having a chance to meet this legendary figure left Victor so distracted that he completely missed a small section of Roderick’s subsequent advice.

...

Shortly after the departure of Yuri Knight Roderick, his “big sister” arrived right on cue. After a cheerful dinner among the three of them, Shani, as usual, spent the night in Angoulême’s room, while Victor retreated to the basement for alchemy.

But as he worked, recalling the evening’s unexpected events and the prospect of meeting Triss, Victor gradually regained his composure. To be honest, if he had a choice, he truly didn’t want to attend that banquet—not only did he fear being recognized by Ada, but such occasions, teeming with bigwigs, left no margin for error. One misstep and his peaceful life would be over.

The more he thought, the more frustrated he became. It was autumn, and Victor resisted the urge to storm upstairs and give Dandelion a “Hundred-Style Chrysanthemum Burst” as a lesson he’d never forget.

But being dragged into this mess for no reason left him stifled, so he decided to build his own happiness on others’ misery. He took out the Bat Suit from his herbal kit and donned it, ready to star in “The Return of Batman” himself.

That night, as darkness fell and shadows flickered, the returning Batman swept from the Temple District to the Trade Quarter with his iron fists, hammering away at thugs who scattered before him in terror. This time, he didn’t forget to announce his name—“Batman”—after every beating, determined to stem the spread of odd unofficial titles like “That Free Man” or “Black Banana,” which might mislead the children.

As for the joy of donning bizarre attire to pummel wrongdoers—the effect was truly remarkable.

When he returned to the alchemy chamber, Victor felt a surge of spiritual energy, a certainty swelling within him that he could now create something extraordinary.

His thoughts drifted upstairs to Doctor Shani, and he decided to craft for her the finest stethoscope, hoping this device would help her keep herself healthy and aid many more people.

He eagerly set to work, gathering materials: copper, silver, iron, wood, leather.

Taking a deep breath, Victor focused all his attention. The stirring rod plunged into the cauldron, and he began to mix.

In the darkness of the alchemy room, Victor was too absorbed to notice the faint glow and silent emergence of the Wheel of Truth magic circle at his feet, centered on the cauldron—a phenomenon that only appeared when an alchemist created an item of epic quality or higher.

...

The next day, the front page of the “Vizima Morning Post” read:

“Last night, ‘That Free Man’ struck again, displaying his prowess by teaching seven thugs who harassed women at night a painful lesson. Of particular note, he repeatedly announced his name as ‘Batman’ to his victims. The reporter must confess, however, that this name lacks the friendly ring of ‘Black Banana’… but…”

...

...

After breakfast, as he set down the newspaper, Victor saw that the formal title “Batman” had finally graced the pages of the Vizima Morning Post. This second appearance of the man—a memory for a generation—did not spark any great upheaval, but rather took on the air of a city anecdote.

At the very least, both Shani and Angoulême were hugely entertained by the article, and Victor learned for the first time that Shani was actually a supporter of Batman. She’d seen the wanted poster and admired his taste in clothes. To be able to appreciate the aesthetic of the Bat Suit—well, perhaps “big sister” had a touch of wildness in her heart…

Before heading out the door, Victor called out to Shani, who was ready to leave for work, handing her the stethoscope he’d made the previous night and briefly describing its function.

But before he had finished, the doctor could not wait a moment longer—she snatched the stethoscope, slipped the earpieces on, and pressed the chest piece to Victor’s chest, gently moving it, listening to the strong, clear sounds from within.

She didn’t stop there; she pulled Angoulême over and did the same, pressing the chest piece to the girl’s chest. This time, as she moved it slowly, Victor noticed her fingers trembling ever so slightly.

Finally, Shani placed the chest piece on her own chest, took a deep breath, and asked, “Victor, how did you invent this?”

As she spoke, Victor saw a mist of tears in her eyes—it was clear how much she liked this gift.

He shook his head. “No, it’s not my invention. It was made by a doctor in our town named Rennek. The women who came to see him were often so well-endowed, especially in the chest, that—” at this point Victor traced a circle in front of his chest, “—with all that fat in the way, percussion and palpation were useless.”

Shani listened intently, her eyes shining.

“So he remembered a game he used to play as a child, putting his ear to one end of a piece of wood and hearing a needle scratching at the other end very clearly. Based on that idea, he made a primitive stethoscope out of wood. As for the one around your neck, it’s a version we improved using the collective wisdom of everyone in town.”

Finishing, Victor smiled with satisfaction. He was proud of the result—when it emerged from the cauldron, even he was moved by its beauty and effectiveness.

The principle was not complicated; after a moment’s thought, a doctor could grasp its workings. Creating one as fine as this would not be easy, but a basic version would be simple enough.

Imagining the future this invention could bring, Shani took a few steps forward and hugged Victor tightly. “Thank you! This stethoscope is so useful; I’ll help many people thanks to you.”

“No need for thanks. If you hadn’t checked my heartbeat the other day, I never would have thought of it.” He patted her back in reply.

She kissed his cheek, let him go, and headed out the door to work.