Chapter 330: Your Kind, You Politicians
You couldn't really blame Charimir.
After a man has experienced such a dramatic, precipitous series of highs and lows in so short a time, it would be a miracle if his mind didn't snap.
Besides, the interrogation chambers in Tretogor were nothing like the single cells of the Toussaint castle dungeon. The sight of those instruments alone was enough to make Charimir break out in a cold sweat. He was no longer a knight of the Duchy of the Curved Shore; he was a fugitive. Why suffer for the sake of keeping secrets?
So, Charimir spilled everything he knew, like a sack of beans being upended. He no longer dared to hope for a promotion or a title. All he prayed for now was to stay alive.
Upon receiving the intelligence report from Dijkstra, King Vizimir was a mix of shock and delight.
The shock came from the revelation that the Duchy of the Curved Shore was secretly colluding with Nilfgaard. When the civil war had first erupted there, King Vizimir had intended to get involved, but the conflict ended sooner than he had anticipated. He had made extensive preparations that ultimately went unused. After that, the new duchess had personally traveled to Tretogor and had shown him such deference that he found it difficult to interfere in the duchy's internal affairs.
The delight, of course, was that he finally had an excuse to intervene in the Duchy of the Curved Shore.
Just as King Vizimir was lost in his pleasant musings, a voice from behind him suddenly broke his reverie.
"Your Majesty, the prisoner was very cooperative. Although he did guide the Nilfgaardians, his actions were directed at the Skellige Isles, and he poses no direct threat to our Redania."
King Vizimir glanced back at the spymaster, who stood behind him with a respectful bow.
"Dijkstra, I didn't know you had a merciful side. Make him disappear. The Pontar isn't all that cold this time of year, is it?"
Dijkstra bowed again, deeply this time. "As you command. I understand."
Another half a month passed.
One day, the Duchess Helena of the Duchy of the Curved Shore suddenly died.
The official cause was a venomous snake found in her chambers, at a time when no handmaidens were present.
A country cannot be without a leader for long, so the duchy's vassals gathered to elect the duchess's son as her successor. In truth, when Duchess Helena was still alive, she hadn't been a fan of her son. She had preferred her daughter to succeed her. Her son had been known since childhood to scramble all over the rooftops and walls of the duchy's capital city. Duchess Helena considered this behavior unbecoming and believed she could not confidently entrust the state to him.
Despite the late duchess's feelings, the Northern Kingdoms had always followed the law of primogeniture. Barring any complications, the duchess's son would become the new Duke of the Curved Shore.
However, whether it was the vengeful spirit of the duchess or simply a case of her premonition coming true, something happened. Just a few days after being crowned, the new duke fell from a high tower, his head splitting open like a dropped watermelon. The nearby guards rushed to summon a doctor, but the physician could only declare his helplessness. He could stitch up a gash, but no matter how skilled he was, he couldn't reassemble a watermelon that had been smashed into pieces.
The ducal title thus fell to Duchess Helena's only daughter. But she was not yet ten years old, and clearly incapable of ruling the country. So, a regency council was formed to govern in her stead. The council was to dissolve once the young duchess came of age, returning power to her.
However, anyone who looked closely would notice that the vast majority of the ministers on this regency council were pro-Redanian.
And so, the Duchy of the Curved Shore once again fell under Redanian influence. In a strategic exchange, Redania also made concessions to Temeria along their border, ceding several villages and a prosperous town to their rival. Both Redania and Temeria then declared that their previous border incursions and killings of each other's subjects had all been "misunderstandings."
Such is the nature of politics.
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
After Triss left Kaer Trolde, Lynn also exited the fortress and went to a nearby forest.
He had accrued plenty of attribute points from his previous battles. He opened his stats panel and immediately spent them all to level up his Bear School Swordsmanship to "Master/Limit."
As the descriptor next to Bear School Swordsmanship on his panel changed, a torrent of experience and memories surged into his mind at the speed of light. It was as if he wasn't a beginner who had only been practicing for a few days, but a true master who had spent centuries honing his craft in real combat.
Beyond the memories and experience, Lynn could feel a distinct enhancement to his strength and stamina.
"New Specialization: Power Over Speed (Strength increased by 50%, Constitution increased by 50%)"
He drew his Gwyhyr and swung it a few times. He could clearly feel that this trusty hand-and-a-half sword, which had seen him through countless battles, now felt a bit too light. It was no wonder that Gerd's Bear School steel and silver swords were both greatswords. Lynn had had his suspicions before, but now, having experienced it firsthand, he finally understood.
With his "Comprehensive Enhancement" and "Lightning Fast" perks, however, Lynn knew that even if he switched to a greatsword, his speed would remain close to what it was with a hand-and-a-half sword, while his power would be exponentially greater.
"When I get back, I'll have Teynsir forge me a new set of witcher weapons."
After resting in the fortress for two more days, Lynn sought out Count Torgier and offered to help him with the monster problem at his family's castle, Aethelard. Previously, he and Gerd had planned to clear the castle after dealing with the Melusine on Spikeroog. But things had gone unexpectedly wrong. They had stumbled upon the Nilfgaardian plot to attack Kaer Trolde. They had then rushed back to the fortress to fight off the invasion.
Now that the battle was over and the dust had settled, they could finally resume the monster-hunting contract they had left unfinished.
Count Torgier was impressed by Lynn's dedication and sent a few soldiers to accompany him.
Gerd, upon hearing the news, insisted on coming along. After all, he had been the one to take the contract in the first place.
The group then left Ard Skellig and set foot once again on the main island of Skellige.
However, on the road not far from Aethelard Castle, they suddenly heard a strange roar from the skies above.
(End of Chapter)
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