In war-torn Temeria, many commodities are hard go come by, trust being one of many casualties in the wake of Nilfgaard’s invasion. When a merchant asks for help, Geralt will soon have to decide whether he should trust his lying eyes or leave well enough alone, and in the pursuit of truth questions regarding Geralt’s politics and loyalty will have to be answered. This page will provide a walkthrough for the secondary quest Precious Cargo in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, including how to find the Locked Strongbox and whether you should give it back to the merchant or not.

Starting Precious Cargo¶

To start this quest you’ll need to talk to a merchant on the side of the road - specifically you’ll find this merchant just east of the road, north of the Sawmill signpost, just south of the swamp that surrounds the Nilfgaardian Garrison. Talk to the merchant and he’ll vaguely babble about some monsters in the swamp, which certainly sounds like Witcher’s work. Specifically he wants you to recover a “little box” from the wreck of his wagon.

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(1 of 4) Talk to a merchant on the side of the road and he’ll ask you to recover a box lost in a monster attack in the swamp.

Find and Examine the Cart¶

From the merchant make your way north to the swamp and keep your Witcher senses on and you should immediately spot some ruts veering off the road to the west and into the swamp. Make your way to the center of a search area - just west of a sunken brick building - where you’ll find the wagon, the dead horse, and the cargo. Check the horse and the cart to observe that they’ve been shot with arrows - a weapon which not too many monsters use - then loot the various parcels in and around the cart.

Continue looking around with your Witcher Senses to spot a body to the east, also the victim of arrow fire. Geralt comes to the only logical conclusion, and it doesn’t make him a happy Witcher. The box you’re looking for is just north-east of the wreckage, pick up the Locked Strongbox and return to the merchant. It’s worth noting you might run afoul of some Drowners (Lv4) in the area, but there’s also a chance they’ll keep their distance.

Give the Merchant the Box¶

You can simply give the merchant his box back by picking the option “Found it. Here”. This ends the quest and will get you some EXP (more EXP than any other route, but still a pittance) and 20 Crowns, but leaves the mystery of the monstrous archer unsolved. If you want to get to the bottom of things you’ll need to respond with “Seen through your lies.”.

Chase the Merchant¶

If you call the merchant out on his lies, he’ll try some crude deception on Geralt, which doesn’t work for obvious reasons. With that ruse foiled, the merchant rides off, and you’ll need to mount Roach (who will conveniently appear nearby) and give chase. Gallop after the merchant by mashing , unsheath your steel sword with , ride up alongside the merchant and swat him with your sword . You’ll need to attack just before you reach the merchant, as there’s a bit of a delay in Geralt’s swing, but with some practice you’ll get it, and a single hit will unhorse the merchant. Once done, Geralt will take the liar aside for some questioning, and after learning who the merchant really is you’ll get three choices for how to resolve the quest.

While the consequences aren’t significant this time around, if you fancy roleplaying it can help to start building a pattern of behavior for Geralt… specifically on the issue of Temerian independence and Nilfgaardian conquest. A Witcher is supposed to remain neutral (an aspiration rarely realized and in fact punished in the first game!), and it’s not really your job to round up criminals, nor help rebellions. Geralt is a nordling himself, however, one who was part of Foltest’s retinue before the late Temerian king’s assassination, and given your chat with Vesemir earlier, it’s clear that nationalist sympathies aren’t exactly alien to Witchers.

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(1 of 3) Return to the merchant and either give him the box, or call him out on his lies.

Take the Rebel to the Nilfgaardians¶

The most offensive to a nordling’s sensibilities and decidedly not neutral. Still, you’ll kill bandits - deserters, former Temerian soldiers, specifically - while clearing out the region’s bandit camps, so killing nordlings in general and Temerians specifically is clearly not a red line for Geralt. You’ll get a pittance of EXP and 30 Crowns for turning the rebel in - almost enough for a snack at the local tavern! Obviously you’ll be picking this choice to make a statement, not a fortune.

Give the Rebel the Medicine¶

If you let loyalty to your fellow nordlings cloud your judgment you can let the rebel go You’ll get the same pittance of a reward as you would have if you turned the rebel into the Nilfgaardians (a tiny bit of EXP and 30 Crowns) and surprising as it may be, the outcome of the war doesn’t hinge on the health of several Temerian partisans cowering in the woods. On the other hand, you can sleep soundly knowing you rendered one more service to late king Foltest and Temeria… even if both are too dead to appreciate it.

Let the Rebel Go, But Keep the Medicine¶

The most lucrative option, although it’s more greedy than neutral. Letting the rebel go is bound to displease the Nilfgaardians, and keeping the medicine puts the Temerians in a foul mood. Fortunately aside from some mean words from the “merchant” before he leaves, nothing really comes of this choice. On the plus side you’ll score some EXP, 50 Crowns and 5x Celandine.

Make whatever choice suits your Geralt best (or your coin purse, if that’s what motivates you) - the decision won’t come up again.