The Precious Cargo side quests is one of the less obvious side quests in the Witcher 3. Moreso, its one of the first quests that introduces the player to using their Witcher Senses to try and spot items of importance for the quest. To make this easier, we have made this Precious Cargo Walkthrough for the Witcher 3 so, you next gen players can enjoy finding awkward objects in fancier graphics.

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Speak to the whiney man by the side of the road near the Nilfgaardian garrison to start the Precious Cargo quest in the Witcher 3.

Precious Cargo Walkthrough for the Witcher 3¶

The Precious Cargo is a side quest that begins from an NPC calling for you from the side of the road. This NPC sites on the slight bend in the road between the Nilfgaardian Garrison, and the signpost further south along the road. Head over there to find a merchant sitting by a campfire. Ask him what’s wrong and he’ll vaguely babble about some monsters in the swamp. Geralt, annoyed, sets him straight and the merchant will tell a slightly more coherent story. Apparently his horse was devoured by some sight-unseen swamp monster, and he wants a kindly Witcher to go find his goods… or at least a “little box” that seems to be particularly important to him. Agree to help him, then… well, head back north into the swamp (after tracking the quest in your journal of course).

The site of the attack is only a short ways to the north, just follow the road and keep your Witcher Senses up. You should spot some cart tracks running off the road and into the swamp. Investigate them, loot a nearby sack, then veer north-west into the swamp. Near the center of the new search area, just west of a sunken brick building, 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 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”.

You can simply give the faker his box back, which ends the quest, but it’s more interesting to chase him down and find out what all the lies (not to mention the arrows) were about. Take him to task for lying and he’ll pull the old “look out behind you!” gag. Sadly, he doesn’t realize that a Witcher’s senses are too acute for that nonsense. Instead of coming clean, however, he rides off.

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Use your Witcher Senses to locate the missing box (left) then knock the lying “merchant” off his horse as he flees (right).

Mount Roach, who will have appeared nearby, and chase the liar south along the road. Roach is faster than his horse, so you shouldn’t have any trouble catching him. Once you do, swat him with your sword to dismount him. After he recovers he’ll spill the beans about who he is, why he attacked the cart, and what is in that little box you recovered for him. After this you’ll have three choices; turn him into the Nilfgaardians, let him go help the rebels, or free him, but keep the medicine. It’s a good time to take a stance on the issue… A Witcher is supposed to remain neutral, and it’s not really your job to round up criminals, nor help rebellions. Geralt is a Nordling himself, however, and it’s hard to see how keeping the medicine will help anybody.

Witcher 3 Precious Cargo: Best Choice?¶

Depending on which option you do, you will get the following rewards. At this stage of the game, the decision is largely just role play, and doesn’t seem to have any consequences on things that happen in your small time in White Orchard. The best option for you, at least while you build your coin purse in a brand new save is keeping the medicine yourself. But, if your playthrough is centered on helping a certain nation, then you can go with the Temerion rebels, or help Nilfgaard for thematic reasons more than anything. Again it doesn’t matter all too much, as White Orchard is a tutorial zone and is fairly scripted anyway with that happens. So, pick whatever is more closely aligned to you.