Chapter 190: Is the World Not at Fault?
Toussaint then enjoyed a period of peace. That is, until a charlatan named Preggmont was exposed and apprehended by the wise and formidable Fringilla Vigo.
After a thorough "memory restoration" session, Preggmont voluntarily admitted that all his so-called "miracles" were fake.
This enraged the people of Toussaint. Preggmont had deceived too many people, from nobles to commoners; everyone had fallen for his tricks. Even Duchess Anna Henrietta had almost believed his evil and planned to allocate a huge sum to him for the construction of a grand and magnificent statue of Lebioda.
More shocking revelations followed. Preggmont's "good deeds" weren't limited to swindling money. Because he claimed his ability to perform "miracles" was taught to him by Lebioda in a dream, many female converts to Lebioda's faith worshipped Preggmont.
A charlatan exploiting the adoration of beautiful women—there's no need to elaborate on what could happen, is there?
In short, Preggmont's actions in Toussaint were too numerous to list, to the extent that the Duchess and the nobles felt that simply beheading or hanging him would be too lenient.
After several days of discussion, a noble who had been severely scammed by Preggmont voluntarily proposed that he would sacrifice his honor to sell Preggmont to the Nilfgaardian Merchant Guild as a slave.
The Nilfgaardian Merchant Guild wielded significant influence in the Empire's political life; while nominally a commercial organization, it was deeply intertwined with the Empire's politics, military, and diplomacy.
Every time the Emperor planned an expansionist war, he could obtain sufficient war funds from the Merchant Guild for the early stages of conquest. And each time the Empire expanded its territory, the Merchant Guild could purchase all physically strong slaves from the army at the lowest prices, then send them wherever labor was needed.
The misery of these slaves was indescribable; even a bard's eloquent tongue would be pale and powerless in the face of such cruel facts. The Toussaintois unanimously agreed that this was where Preggmont belonged.
Fortunately, though Preggmont had committed heinous crimes, the followers of Lebioda were innocent. With Fringilla personally vouching for them, the Toussaintois who didn't follow Lebioda's faith didn't make things too difficult for them.
Lynn paid no attention to the external commotion. A few days later, he was invited to the Beauclair Palace once more. Duchess Anna Henrietta did not receive him in the audience chamber as usual, but on a balcony overlooking the shimmering waters in the distance.
The attendees were few; besides the Duchess herself, only Fringilla and a few guards were present. Unlike last time, when Count Raymond had a large entourage of nobles.
"Master Witcher, I hear you'll be leaving Toussaint soon?"
"Yes, Your Grace. My companions and I came to Toussaint specifically for you. Now that you have recovered, it is time for us to depart."
"You don't intend to stay? Ms. Fringilla previously mentioned that you make your living by hunting monsters. Even if Toussaint has no more monsters, I would gladly offer you a position of office. I don't believe the taxpayers would object to me using their contributions to support you."
Lynn performed a knight's bow. "I am grateful for your generosity, Radiant Duchess, but our reasons for leaving are complex. Therefore, please allow me to respectfully decline your kind offer."
Duchess Anna Henrietta said regretfully, "Since you've put it that way, I won't hold you back further. But please remember, Toussaint's gates will always be open to you, Master."
The witcher thanked the Duchess for her kindness once more. Then, Duchess Anna Henrietta finally revealed the true purpose of inviting Lynn.
"I hear witchers are experts at lifting curses. Can you truly lift any curse?"
Lynn thought for a moment, then answered carefully, "That depends, Radiant Duchess. Not all curses can be lifted. The specific circumstances are very complex. I can only tell you that some curses can be lifted, while for others, even witchers are helpless."
A clear flicker of disappointment crossed Duchess Anna Henrietta's face. However, as the ruler of Toussaint, she quickly masked her emotions. "If that is the case, then Master... are you familiar with the Black Sun curse?"
Lynn pondered, then explained, "The Black Sun curse, also known as the Dark Sun curse or Black Sun prophecy, is a prediction made by a sorcerer named Ethibald. He predicted that human civilization would eventually be destroyed by sixty girls born during or after a specific solar eclipse."
Seeing Lynn speak so articulately, the Duchess asked eagerly, "Then can you lift the Black Sun curse?"
Lynn answered without hesitation, "No."
Because based on the portrayal in the novels and games, the Black Sun curse is most likely non-existent. Something that doesn't exist naturally cannot be lifted. Lynn's reason for believing the Black Sun curse doesn't exist is quite simple.
Throughout Geralt's witcher career, he encountered three Children of the Disaster: One was Duchess Anna Henrietta's granddaughter, Syanna, who would, more than two decades later, plunge Beauclair into chaos.
Another was Eskel's Child of Surprise, Deidre Ademein, a princess of Kaedwen. The last was Renfri, a princess of the Northern petty kingdom of Creyden.
In addition to these three Children of the Disaster encountered by Geralt, dozens of other girls from wealthy families or noble backgrounds were murdered and dissected by the Brotherhood of Sorcerers. And without exception, the sorcerers found nothing to distinguish them from normal girls.
So, the question arises: even witchers, whose physical prowess merely exceeds that of ordinary humans, show mutated organ characteristics upon dissection. Sorcerers and sorceresses, whose bodies are altered by magic, also show differences from ordinary humans upon dissection.
Why then do these Children of the Disaster, who possess world-ending power that even legendary sorcerers lack, show not a single difference from ordinary humans? What is truly going on?
Furthermore, Lady Bennecia, who rules the March of Targo, is also a Child of the Disaster burdened by the Black Sun curse. While she hasn't yet destroyed the world, she has erected countless crosses in Targo, each impaling those who had harmed her.
Why doesn't the Brotherhood of Sorcerers send people to raze Targo City now? Just as they once did to the witcher fortresses. No matter how many guards Targo City has, it certainly couldn't withstand the combined magic of multiple sorcerers.
But why don't they do it?
Lynn knows why they don't. It's because Lady Bennecia is different from witchers. She is of noble birth, with noble blood flowing through her veins, and has now become a powerful ruler. She belongs to the same class, "their own kind," as the powerful kings and nobles of the Northern Kingdoms.
If the Brotherhood of Sorcerers truly dared to destroy Targo City in the name of saving the world, tomorrow they would face boycotts, isolation, and ostracism from the entire North. Their status would plummet to a level even below witchers, becoming utterly reviled, hounded by everyone.
When the Children of the Disaster were daughters of wealthy families or royal princesses, the Brotherhood of Sorcerers could still imprison and murder them in the name of salvation. Because neither wealthy families nor noble royalty usually had only one daughter.
Losing one was no big deal. But once these Children of the Disaster genuinely wielded power, the situation became vastly different. They were no longer helpless lambs but lionesses commanding a pride. At such a time, the Brotherhood of Sorcerers could only pretend that Ethibald's prophecy didn't exist.
Moreover, this world is vast. It's not just this Continent. Across the sea, there are countries called Ofir and Zerrikania. This Continent is merely the known world, not the entirety of it.
The influence of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers extends at most to the southern bank of the Yaruga River, which includes Cintra and Toussaint. They have no control over Nilfgaard or Zerrikania beyond the Blue Mountains. It's even less possible for them to control Ofir and Zerrikania across the sea.
So, the question arises again: when the eclipse occurred, were only girls born in the North inherently sinful? Did girls born in Nilfgaard, Zerrikania, Ofir, and Zerrikania not bear the Black Sun curse?
And since Ethibald's prophecy mentions that even one hindered Child of the Disaster could destroy the world, with so many Children of the Disaster alive, the world hasn't been destroyed; it's still thriving.
Lynn would even go so far as to say, if a world so vast could be destroyed merely by a girl born during an eclipse, what does that indicate? It indicates that the world itself isn't trying hard enough.
Setting aside the facts, even if a Child of the Disaster truly destroyed the world, and even if the Child of the Disaster was 99% at fault, isn't the world at least a little bit at fault?
....
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