Otto Bamber's apprentice, Folkert, has gone missing, and it's a witcher's task to uncover what happened to the herbalist's ward. In The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone, the Without a Trace side quest will take some twists and turns, and if you miss all the potential evidence, then you're missing out on rewards! Below, we'll share a full walkthrough, along with the ending decision that you should make for the best possible outcome.
You can start the Without a Trace quest in the Hearts of Stone expansion by picking up Contract: Apprentice Gone Missing from the Brunwich notice board.
After speaking with Otto in the Herbalist's Hut, you will need to travel north-east to the small village of Erde. It's in the Deadwight Wood nearby that you'll find the herbalist's cart (shown on the map above) where you can begin tracking a blood trail that goes to Erde, but goes cold.
The second cabin on the right has an old couple that Geralt can speak with, but they reveal that the Halfling, Folkert, was killed and dragged off by wolves. At this point, you can return to Otto, but DON'T do that, as you're missing the rest of the story.
Go around the back of the old couple's house and use your Witcher Senses to get a trail of rotten meat, where you'll find a pile of crates you can smash with Aard to reveal a cellar. Drop down, and on the table you'll find Folkert's butchered corpse, proving that the old couple is cannibals.
When you return to confront the cannibals, you'll be given a choice to spare them or kill them, and these are your outcomes:
I recommend killing the old couple, as they've murdered an innocent and young Halfling for food, and by the looks of the empty village, it seems they've killed everyone else here too. Who knows what travelers they've lured in and eaten too? Besides, Geralt killing them is mercy, as they won't have to slowly starve to death as old people with no way to farm their muddy fields.
Regardless of your choice, return to Otto at the Herbalist's Hut to collect your reward. You can either tell him the truth or lie to him, as it won't impact the reward. I decided to tell him the truth, as it spares him from investigating himself and lets him know that justice was dealt.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://gamerant.com/the-witcher-3-quest-guide-without-a-trace/
