Chapter 220: I Have a Bold Idea
Dudu pointed at Lynn and introduced him to Shasha.
"He's my boss. He gave me a job."
Then, Dudu recounted what had happened earlier.
The more Shasha listened, the wider his mouth opened.
"In this world, there's actually a monster slayer who won't trade monster heads for bounty?"
Lynn shrugged: "An hour ago, your friend thought the same thing."
"Alright, since Dudu trusts you, I can try to trust you too. You can call me Shasha."
Shasha gestured for them to sit.
The three sat down in the living room.
"Dudu said you're his boss, so you have other ventures? But aren't you a witcher?"
Lynn looked surprised: "What's wrong with being a witcher? Who says witchers aren't allowed to do business?"
"Don't misunderstand, I didn't mean anything by it," Shasha waved his hand, indicating no ill intent. "You truly are a strange witcher. Other witchers can't imagine ways to make money beyond trading monster heads for bounties, even though they have plenty of ways to earn more."
A doppler knew about witchers' earning methods?
Lynn was immediately curious.
He looked at Shasha with interest and asked.
"Such as?"
Shasha thought carefully and said.
"A nobleman would never refuse a witcher's service. Many highly skilled warriors sell their labor to nobles; it's not a shameful act at all."
"In their words, it's called 'honor.'"
Lynn was noncommittal: "But witchers have their code."
"I've heard of your neutrality code, but such a code seems somewhat old-fashioned and rigid in this rapidly changing world."
Lynn wasn't angry; instead, he grew more interested: "I'd like to hear more."
Shasha thought for a moment, weighing his words, then said.
"I've read your human—apologies, I forgot witchers are also ostracized like us—ahem, I've read human history and know that humans also came to this world through the Conjunction of Spheres from another world."
"At that time, on the Continent, humans not only faced numerous monsters but also the threat of the Elven kingdoms. Their living space was precarious, at risk of being driven into the sea at any moment."
"Therefore, at that time, humans could unite against a common enemy, standing together against external threats."
"But in the blink of an eye, the seas turned into mulberry fields. The Elven kingdoms that once ruled the world either collapsed spectacularly or had vanished into thin air."
"Elves, dwarves, gnomes—these elder races were forced to coexist with humans, integrating into human society. Races like us dopplers and gnomes simply vanished from human sight."
"Either hiding in deep mountains and old forests, or nervously concealing ourselves within human society, doing everything possible to avoid being discovered by humans."
"At this point, humanity's traditional 'art form' began."
"I don't know if it's human nature or some other reason."
"Once they no longer face external threats, humans begin to conflict with themselves."
"When conflicts erupt, humans seek allies and exclude outsiders."
"Before, witchers were just hourly workers. Employers called witchers simply to do a job. Once the job was done, they could leave. No one cared what the hourly worker thought."
"But now, it's different. From now on, there is no neutrality. If you claim to be neutral, you will be simultaneously perceived by both sides as having taken money from the opposition." "Once the conflict intensifies and escalates into war, before total war begins, both sides will first eliminate those who claim neutrality."
"And this is what rulers love to say: 'Either be my friend, or be my enemy.'"
Lynn hadn't expected this doppler to know so much.
In Lynn's home world, due to the widespread availability of education, many people could see this point.
But in this world where education was scarce, to see it so clearly was truly remarkable.
"Who told you all these things?"
"Books compiled by professors at Oxenfurt Academy, information summarized, concluded, and organized from conversations with others, and a small personal... or rather, 'talent' of mine."
Lynn suddenly became curious: "Then your talent is quite extraordinary. What do you think witchers should do?"
Shasha answered without hesitation.
"Unite... Individual strength cannot contend with a collective. No matter how powerful a single witcher is, they ultimately cannot stand against an entire army."
The doppler's answer was within the witcher's expectations.
Even legendary dragons needed humans as their followers—for instance, on the other side of the Blue Mountains, the mysterious desert kingdom of Zerrikania had a tradition of worshipping dragons.
And the dragons they worshipped were real.
Shasha's answer did not surprise Lynn.
But he was more interested in...
"Witchers can't band together. Kings and nobles wouldn't want to see a second organization beyond their control, after the Brotherhood of Sorcerers."
If witchers could simply band together, the Witchers' Order, once so prosperous and glorious, would not have splintered into several witcher schools.
Therefore, Lynn wanted to see what insights this doppler, whose political acumen surpassed most people of this era, had.
"...You're right. This is also where I always get stuck, unable to proceed beyond this point in my thoughts."
Shasha regretfully rubbed the back of his head.
Lynn thought to himself, Just as I suspected.
Ultimately, he still couldn't escape the limitations of this era.
But then again, one's future must be created by one's own hands, and the glory of witchers could naturally only rely on witchers themselves.
Back to the main topic—
"Dudu said he hopes I can give you a job, but I want to ask you first, what are you good at?"
"I don't have Dudu's business acumen. I can't help you manage your assets, but I can protect your ventures and help you deal with the scoundrels who covet them."
Hearing Shasha say this, Lynn couldn't help but feel curious.
"Don't dopplers only have benevolent thoughts? Even when mimicking, they can't understand evil aspects, can they?"
"In most cases, that's true, but I might be an anomaly among dopplers, just like you, sir. Most witchers don't have a mind like yours either."
Making a doppler his security chief would be a complete waste of talent.
A doppler's unique characteristics dictate that he should be on a stage where he can truly shine.
"Since you put it that way, I do have a bold idea that could not only give you and Dudu a good life but also better protect my ventures."
.....
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