Chapter 167: I Have a Dream
After a refreshing bath at Thanesel's century-old armor shop, Lynn and Letho left and headed back to Orianna's mansion. Having visited once before, the mansion guards didn't stop them and led them directly to the reception room.
Orianna sat on the sofa, legs crossed, and said, "It seems you've found your colleague. That's good. Now, may I ask if the contract I entrusted to you has been completed?"
Lynn replied, "Master Thanesel has returned to his armor shop, alive and with all his limbs intact."
"Excellent. I knew I hadn't misjudged you," Orianna said, placing a coin purse on the table. "Here's your payment. I know we previously said I'd only pay one reward even if both of you witchers came together, but I've added a little extra."
Lynn thanked her and took the coin purse. A smile played on Orianna's lips, and her expression became meaningful. "Young witcher, I truly admire you. Come see me again later."
After leaving Orianna's mansion, Letho, as promised, only took his portion of the reward. Standing on the bustling street, Letho asked, "Do you have a place to stay in Beauclair? Do you want me to book a room for you at an inn?"
Lynn waved his hand. "No need. I'm staying in the Beauclair palace."
"I wouldn't have guessed. You're a nobleman, then? My apologies for the oversight." As he spoke, Letho even bowed to Lynn.
Despite his intimidating appearance, Letho, like Geralt, actually possessed a sharp tongue. Lynn wasn't offended by the misunderstanding.
"You know about the Duchess Anna Henrietta, who's been bedridden, right?"
Letho nodded. "Of course, I heard about it. Some people thought she was cursed. I even went to check it out myself, only to find that wasn't the case at all. The Duchess's symptoms clearly indicated she'd been poisoned. Unfortunately, even I couldn't detoxify her... Hmm, are you saying..."
Letho seemed to guess something and looked at Lynn with curiosity.
Lynn spread his hands. "You've been in the sewers for too long. While you were busy searching for the elven master blacksmith, another witcher arrived in Toussaint and restored Her Grace's long-lost health."
"Guess who that witcher was? That's right, it was me."
Even the fearsome-looking Letho was dumbfounded. "Damn it, you're not kidding, are you? How did you do it?"
Lynn smiled faintly. "This isn't the place to talk. Let's find somewhere else."
So the two headed to the inn where Letho was staying. Once inside the inn room, Lynn briefly recounted how he had saved the Duchess.
"The legendary Holy Grail... Such a thing actually exists? So, you still have this Holy Grail with you?"
"Want to see it?"
"Of course, who wouldn't?"
So Lynn took the Holy Grail out of his magic-imbued leather pouch and handed it to Letho. Just by looking at it, Letho could feel the divine presence emanating from the Grail. His fingers continuously caressed it as he asked in his hoarse voice, "You know you could easily gain a noble title and vast lands of your own if you were willing to sell it, right?"
"I know, but I won't sell it."
Lynn took the Holy Grail back from Letho's hand and put it away in his magic-imbued leather pouch. He knew Letho's character and understood that he wouldn't engage in treacherous acts like murder for gain. Like Geralt, as long as you were his friend, you could trust him with your back. As for Letho's suggestion, he hadn't even considered it.
"A noble title and land—I have a hundred ways to acquire those. There's no need to risk offending a goddess."
Letho shrugged. "Alright, that's your choice. Also, back in the sewers, didn't you say you wanted me and my brothers to work for you?"
"I'll need to discuss this with my brothers, but I must ask one crucial question: When we first met, you accurately stated the names of both me and my Viper School brothers, yet I don't recall us ever meeting."
"So, please satisfy my curiosity. How do you know our names?"
Although Letho's tone was no different from before, Lynn's heightened observational skills, a benefit of witcher mutations, allowed him to notice Letho's muscles subtly tensing. This was a signal that he was ready to strike at any moment. He knew that if he failed to answer, or answered poorly, things would take a bad turn. This familiar scene and atmosphere, Lynn had experienced once before through Geralt's perspective in his previous life, in a place called the Tower of Mice.
The atmosphere in the room became extremely tense. Lynn smiled.
"You think I took Nilfgaardian money? That I was sent to bring back your heads?"
Letho was unmoved. "There are no free lunches in this world, only traps. If you're not, I'd be happy to apologize to you afterward, but I'm sorry, I can't find a reason to believe you haven't been bought by the Nilfgaardians."
"From the moment we met, you recognized me immediately. Even if you'd heard my name, even if you knew from others that Letho of Guleta is a muscular brute, you shouldn't have used such a definitive statement."
"Furthermore, a witcher needing other witchers to work for him, regardless of the job content, is inherently suspicious."
"Not to mention your potions and alchemical bombs. Don't think I didn't notice; those aren't ordinary potions. Even I can only make them to that level. But look at my age, and look at yours."
"Those alchemical bombs you used in the nekker nest were like throwing money away, yet you didn't wince at all."
"For all this, I can only conclude one explanation:"
"You not only received a handsome reward from the Nilfgaardians, but they also promised to cover all expenses during the operation."
"But regardless, you did help me in the sewers, which is an undeniable fact. Therefore, I'll give you two choices:"
"The first choice: you can try to pretend we never met. When you found the nekker nest in the sewers, you were alone. When you destroyed the nekker nest with alchemical bombs and Signs, you were alone. When you rescued the elven master blacksmith and collected the reward, you were also alone..."
"You never encountered me, never encountered Letho of Guleta, the Viper School witcher."
"You will walk out of this inn room, and I will leave Beauclair before the end of today, vanishing without a trace."
"As for the second choice..."
"If you refuse my good intentions, if you insist on not letting go of the gold the Nilfgaardians promised you, then we'll simply have to draw our swords against each other."
"I saw your skills in the sewers. You are one of the most skilled witchers I've ever seen in my life. But if we must fight to the death, the outcome might not be what you expect."
"And, as a senior in this profession, I feel it's my duty to give you a warning:"
"The Nilfgaardians cannot be trusted."
"So, what's your answer..."
When Letho finished speaking, Lynn smiled and said, "I appreciate that when you had doubts, you chose to speak clearly instead of drawing your steel sword immediately."
"But I must still state that I have not taken Nilfgaardian gold, nor has anyone paid me to come after you."
"The offer I previously gave you is real and valid. I genuinely need witchers to work for me, and not just you."
Letho frowned. He stared at Lynn. The latter met his gaze directly.
"There's no deception in your words. Either you're a master of disguise, or you're telling the truth."
"Damn it, I actually believe you somewhat... Alright, I hope you truly won't deliver our heads as gifts to the Emperor."
"But I can't help but ask, what exactly do you want to do?"
Seeing Letho had lowered his guard, Lynn stood from his chair and walked to the inn room's window. He let the sunlight streaming through the window fall upon his shoulders. He spread his arms, like a saint.
"I have a dream:"
"I dream that one day, on this sun-drenched continent, witchers will be as respected as knight-errants, receiving flowers and applause."
"I dream that one day, even the nation of Kaedwen, where justice has vanished and oppression reigns, will transform into an oasis of freedom and justice."
"I dream that one day, my descendants will live on a continent where they will be judged not by the color of their eyes, but by the content of their character."
"I dream that one day, every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the crooked places shall be made straight, and the glory of the Light shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together."
....
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