Chapter 202: This Side Towards Enemy
"So, this is the monster that creates different dream worlds for different intruders."
"That's it?" The sorceress chuckled. "If its true form were as powerful as its dream-creating ability, even its master would be worried about it breaking free or turning against them."
"Alright, it should be dead now. Take your foot off." Fringilla frowned, gently patting Lynn's shin.
"What are you doing?" Lynn stepped back and asked.
"If I'm not mistaken, the way to leave this book world is the same as in 'Fairytale Land'—you just need to..." She snapped her fingers. A spark of electricity flickered at her fingertips. She used a lightning bolt to blast a hole in the ground, then tossed the monster's mangled corpse, which the witcher had stomped on, into it.
Next, she moved as if some terrifying monster was chasing her from behind. She cast a levitation spell, lifting the unconscious Anarietta and Syanna to follow her. Although Lynn didn't know what was happening, he quickly followed Fringilla.
They hadn't run far when a loud boom echoed behind them. The ground shook violently. From the hole, a gigantic phantom began to emerge. The phantom looked like the gaping maw of some beast.
"Go in there, and we'll be out."
"Really?"
"Of course. You first."
The witcher hesitated briefly, but ultimately decided to trust the sorceress. He gritted his teeth and stepped into the monster's mouth. Before he could go any further, he suddenly lost his footing and began to fall. Fortunately, the intense sensation of freefall only lasted a few seconds. His feet then touched a hard wooden floor.
Thump.
He tumbled across the floor, then stood up, realizing he was back in the entertainment room of the real world. Fringilla and the others followed Lynn. However, the sorceress had cast a levitation spell on herself and the two young ladies, allowing all three to land smoothly.
Upon leaving the book world, Anarietta and Syanna both regained consciousness. Fringilla briefly explained to the sisters what had happened to them inside the book. Anarietta, realizing her mistake, lowered her head and softly apologized. Fringilla nodded. Everyone makes mistakes; as long as they can learn from them, it's a good thing.
Next, Fringilla asked Anarietta how she had come to possess her uncle's book, Edge of Nightmare. After Anarietta's explanation, Fringilla finally understood.
It turned out that Artorius had personally given it to them before leaving Toussaint, telling them to open the book and face its inner side towards the enemy if they ever encountered danger. This was meant to be used like a "this side towards enemy" Claymore mine, but Anarietta had misunderstood, believing they should hide inside it. This was how they had ended up trapped in the book world.
Anarietta bit her lip lightly, looking up at Fringilla, who was stroking her hair. "Lady Fringilla, Grandmother always values your opinion. Could you please suggest to Grandmother that she shouldn't send my sister away?" Syanna remained silent, but her eyes were full of hope and expectation.
Fringilla smiled. "My dear young lady, you must have pleaded with my uncle in the same way, haven't you?" Anarietta was momentarily stunned; with her young mind, she naturally couldn't fathom how Fringilla knew. However, she honestly nodded.
"If my uncle couldn't help Lady Syanna, then I'm even less likely to be able to." Hearing the sorceress say this, Anarietta immediately grew anxious. "But I heard that those sorcerers imprison girls like her in tall towers, and they experiment on them, and even kill them..." By the end, Anarietta covered her face with her hands, sobbing.
"No, Lady Syanna won't be imprisoned in a tall tower, because Her Grace the Duchess has already entrusted Lady Syanna to this Witcher Master."
"What?!" Anarietta and Syanna exclaimed in unison. Four wide, fluttering eyes looked at the witcher with confusion and curiosity.
"Witcher Master?" Anarietta's eyes lit up. "I've heard your name. Everyone in court is saying that the Lady of the Lake sent you to bring the Holy Grail and save Grandmother. Is that true? Do you really have a Holy Grail?" Syanna, though silent, also curiously scrutinized the witcher.
"What you're saying is indeed true?"
The best explanation was to present the facts. So Lynn took out the Holy Grail from his runic leather pouch.
All three women were too stunned to speak. Even though Fringilla had seen it once before, seeing it a second time was still incredibly impactful. As a sorceress with no shortage of money, she owned all kinds of rare treasures. But she had never seen anything like this. If she could, she would trade all her precious collections for the Holy Grail in Lynn's hand.
However, Fringilla only thought about it to herself. Even the most greedy person would probably not dare to covet a god's treasure.
"Can I touch it?" Anarietta asked, her eyes full of yearning.
"Of course."
With the witcher's permission, Anarietta placed her hand on the Holy Grail, gently stroking it, and Syanna did the same. Both children looked utterly captivated. After a long moment, they reluctantly withdrew their hands.
"The rumors are true. The Lady of the Lake choosing to bestow the Holy Grail upon you means that the Lady trusts you. Since the Lady trusts you, then I trust you too. Witcher Master, I entrust my sister to you." Anarietta's small face was filled with a serious expression.
Since it was a request from the future Duchess of Toussaint, Lynn accepted.
Now, all of Lynn's affairs in Toussaint were concluded.
He sought out Geralt, Letho's trio, Georg, Regis, and Tyensel, informing them of their departure time. Then, he returned to Castel Ravello, telling his butler Sebastian that he would be leaving Toussaint for a long period and entrusting all manor affairs to him. He hoped Sebastian wouldn't disappoint him. Sebastian, overwhelmed by Lynn's trust, excitedly vowed never to disappoint his lord.
On the day of their departure, Lynn arrived at a dimly lit alley in Beauclair. He walked up to a secluded, old residential building and knocked on the door. He didn't have to wait long before the door opened. A roughly 1.6-meter-tall woman, equally wide, wearing a dirty apron, glowered at him.
"What do you want?"
"To pick something up."
"Come in."
The woman let Lynn into the house. Once the door closed, the middle-aged woman dispelled her illusion, reverting to her appearance as the dark-haired sorceress.
"No one followed you, did they?"
"No, I would have noticed if they had."
As the ruler of Toussaint, Duchess Anna Henrietta was in a position that required constant vigilance against various potential threats. This was why the meeting point was here and why the actual time for Syanna's departure had been postponed.
A few days earlier, Geralt and the others had already left Beauclair with a carriage to avoid attracting attention. In reality, Lynn and Syanna's true departure date was today.
"I will open a portal that will take you directly to the Rivendell Valley."
"I'll also keep an eye on your manor... And take this." Fringilla produced an exquisite box, resembling a compact mirror. Lynn recognized it instantly.
"A speaking tube?"
"You recognize it?" Fringilla's reaction was swift. "Has another sorceress given you one?"
"Uh..." Lynn paused. Based on his experience from his previous life, at this moment, neither answering "yes" nor "no" seemed to be the best response. However, Fringilla's reaction defied his experience and expectations: "It's alright, I enjoy a challenge."
The dark-haired sorceress leaned in and kissed the witcher. "We might not see each other for a long time after this, so how about we..."
"What about Lady Syanna?"
Fringilla was hastily unbuttoning Lynn's Wolf school jacket.
"Don't worry, she's in another house, perfectly safe. We can pick her up in ten minutes; it'll be fine."
An hour later, in the Rivendell Valley, a portal's light suddenly flared on a mist-shrouded grassy field. Lynn and Syanna stepped out. Then, the portal's light vanished behind them. Lynn oriented himself, then led Syanna north.
....
For advanced chapters:
Get early access to 120 advanced chapters before anyone else!
👉 Join now: patreon.com/Chaos_God