Geralt tells Iola his story. He almost religiously believes in the sword. He is from Kaer Morhen, where now no one but his father Vesemir lives. He went through intense witcher training to protect the innocent from monsters.

He met his first “monster” on the road, when he encountered a group of highway robbers attempting to rape a small girl. Instead of being grateful for Geralt’s intervention, the girl’s father fled with the attackers, and the girl refused to allow Geralt to come near her.

Since that time, tries to listen to “the voice of reason” (133) and rarely interferes in regular affairs. However, he has regrets. One is Yennefer, whom he is loathe to discuss.

In Cintra, Geralt is dressing up for a banquet given by Queen Calanthe in honor of Princess Pavetta’s 15th birthday. The queen has hired Geralt, who will pose as the nobleman Ravis of Fourhorn. Geralt cannot coax the reason for his hire out of the castellan.

At the banquet, the queen is curt toward Geralt. He wonders whether she wants to hire him to murder someone, but she says this would be silly—he is too expensive to hire for such a simple task.