Chapter 175: Money Isn't Everything
The two met the pale Duchess Anna Henrietta in the reception room.
"Masters, I have already heard everything from Count Raymond and Lady Fringilla."
"Not only did you two masters save my life, but you also eliminated a large number of bandits causing chaos in the countryside, as well as the missing persons cases that plagued the Duchy."
"You have brought peace and safety back to the Duchy. Toussaint will forever remember your contributions."
"Of course, your bravery also deserves tangible rewards."
"The previous owner of Corvo Bianco vineyard disappointed me. I think it's time to find a new owner for the vineyard."
Toussaint's agriculture and wine industry were highly developed. Because of the consistently favorable weather, agriculture not only ensured self-sufficiency in grain production but also had a surplus for export.
Toussaint's economy primarily relied on wine exports. Besides the most famous Est Est, other Toussaint wines were also widely praised by various social strata across the Continent. Therefore, every vineyard in Toussaint could generate a considerable profit.
Moreover, if witchers could own a territory, even a small one, but with a steady economic source, it would mean they no longer needed to rely on contracts to earn meager wages.
One of the very important reasons why the witcher orders disintegrated back then was precisely the lack of stable and substantial economic income for the orders.
The complete break between Arnaghad, the founder of the Bear School, and the order could essentially be boiled down to one word: no money! Therefore, to achieve the revival of the witchers, a territory was absolutely indispensable.
However, there was a small problem here. It was not yet the time for witchers to step into the limelight.
At this moment, Lynn suddenly realized why Fringilla had given him the Charm of Deception. She had known all along that Duchess Anna Henrietta intended to bestow a territory upon him.
As a sorceress herself, she was naturally well aware of the relationship between witchers and sorcerers. That's why she had given him the Charm of Deception, which could disguise one's identity.
"Merciful Duchess, your generosity is truly admirable, but..."
Lynn paused, his gaze sweeping over Count Raymond, the other courtiers, and the guards in the reception room.
"You don't need to be hesitant. Just speak your mind directly. But if you feel uncomfortable speaking in front of others..." Duchess Anna Henrietta instructed the others, "All of you, withdraw."
No one had any objections. After all, the witchers' contributions were evident for all to see. If the witchers had intended to harm the Duchess, they could have simply let her die; there was no need for such elaborate measures.
Only after everyone else had withdrawn did Lynn speak.
"Beloved Duchess, I imagine you may have heard how people view witchers, right?"
"Leaving the North aside for now, I hear that even in the civilized South, people cannot stand to see the likes of me walking on the streets. Some respectable individuals even hire assassins just to make us disappear from their sight."
Duchess Anna Henrietta was momentarily stunned; she hadn't expected Lynn to suddenly bring this up. She pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke.
"Mmm, I don't deny that. Even in Toussaint, the entire nation is gradually corrupting and degenerating. The general societal atmosphere is becoming increasingly improper and immoral. One could say that the world is in decline."
"However, what does this have to do with your concerns?"
Lynn nodded and continued. "If a commoner suddenly received the reward of a territory, it might temporarily cause some controversy, but as time passed, these controversies would eventually fade away."
"But if it's two witchers, the situation would be vastly different. People would be puzzled, even angry, and various rumors would spread far and wide."
"After all, in people's stereotypical view, there isn't much difference between us and monsters, and no one is willing to accept two monsters as their lords."
"Furthermore, if the situation were to worsen even further, it could even implicate Your Grace."
Having just recovered from her severe illness, Duchess Anna Henrietta hadn't given much thought to it when she learned from Count Raymond and Fringilla that witchers had saved her.
At the time, she was completely filled with joy and gratitude, wanting only to express her thanks with tangible rewards. Of course, there was another underlying motive: to show others in the Duchy that hard work would be rewarded.
However, when Lynn reminded her, she realized how thoughtless her previous idea had been.
While the status of sorcerers in the South wasn't as high as in the North, that didn't mean there was no discrimination in the South. On the contrary, discrimination in the South was even more severe than in the North.
Take a simple example. Ebbing, Maecht, Geso, Metinna... These former kingdoms had all become provinces of the Nilfgaardian Empire.
After the Nilfgaardian Empire occupied these kingdoms, it forced the local people to stop speaking their own languages, eradicated their cultures, and replaced their national architectural styles with Nilfgaardian ones.
Those who disagreed with Nilfgaard's methods considered this an organized genocide by Nilfgaard. However, Nilfgaardians believed they were bringing civilization and advanced systems to barbaric and backward regions.
Even now, the people of these conquered provinces are still second-class citizens in the Empire.
Not only that, to prevent the conquered regions from revolting, Nilfgaard also implemented economic exploitation in its provinces. Nominally provinces, they were in fact treated like colonies.
Because the conquered regions were not allowed to implement tariffs, local product protection policies, and so on, cheap handicrafts from Cintra could be freely sold in the conquered regions, destroying local handicrafts.
As a result, these conquered regions now only served to supply Nilfgaard with grain and raw materials.
Nilfgaard was so ruthless even to its own people. If that usurper emperor were to learn that Toussaint now had a witcher lord... Duchess Anna Henrietta dared not think further.
"Master Lynn, your composure and judgment of the situation surpass most of my courtiers. If they were standing before me now, they wouldn't consider so much; they would only tightly grasp their benefits."
"Alright, since you've considered so much, then I assume you've also thought of a solution, haven't you?"
"Or do you prefer a large bag of gold as a reward?"
Lynn was about to answer when he caught Geralt's frantic eye signal.
As the protagonist of a "story" who strictly adheres to the path of neutrality, Geralt most feared being entangled in various political struggles. To him, these were more terrifying than a leshen. Besides, Toussaint was not Kovir; this country was caught between the North and the South. Who knew what further troubles might arise in the future?
But Lynn gave Geralt a look that said, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
"I do have an immature idea. If you agree, then..."
.....
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