Kiyan performed wonderfully! It's a shame, of course, that Professor Gloger disappeared somewhere in the ruins of Est Tayiar along with the rest of the elven diagrams, but those sketches for a steel sword alone are worth as much as a village in southern Redania!
We split the takings equally, as per our agreement: I kept the diagram for the silver sword, while Kiyan took the crossbow diagram. I must admit, I didn't exactly need every member of the expedition's head preserved in vinegar, but they do constitute impressive proof of Kiyan's conscientiousness and professionalism. The witcher swore none of the archaeologists would leave Est Tayiar alive - and none did.
All the more shame, then, that Kiyan didn't accept my offer. As my personal bodyguard, he would never have wanted for a thing. Steady pay, caviar and strawberries for breakfast, lobster for lunch, daily baths, a court surgeon and courtesans of both sexes for all his needs... and if he still lacked for anything, he had but to knock on my chamber door.
He must very much love all that trudging around the world, because I do not believe Jacob of Dembich could have dangled a better offer than I did! Really now - Jacob of Debich?! A second-rate captain transporting whores to dockside Novigrad pimps for a fistful of crowns? With any luck, sooner or later a storm will sink that leaky tub of his and Kiyan will return to me, tail between his legs!
[illegible scribbling] scrubbed [illegible] waxing [illegible] [illegible] blade oil [illegible] Devil's Puffball [illegible] contortions (...)
[ink visibly fresher than previous entries, many years must have passed] I have heard the Flying Deer, the vessel on which Kiyan was sailing, wrecked off the coast of Grassy Knoll. Was it my curse? Hm. Not bad, for a beginner. Perhaps I should think about enrolling at Ban Ard?
