Chapter 207: You Politicians Have Corrupt Hearts
Lynn paid the inn's stable boy an extra oren as a tip, asking him to keep a close eye on his horses.
Then he carried Syanna to his reserved room.
He laid Syanna on the bed.
He himself sat on the floor, re-entering a meditative state.
Though witchers hadn't reached the stage of subsisting solely on qi, they could meditate in place of sleep when necessary.
An hour or so later, Syanna finally woke.
She sat up in bed, her face a mask of confusion.
Clearly, she didn't understand how she'd ended up here.
"You're awake. You're the most resilient of this batch of newcomers."
Lynn ended his meditation, rose from the floor, found a chair, and sat down.
He wore a straight face, his tone utterly serious as he spoke.
"How did I get here?"
"You don't remember anything?"
Syanna clasped her head in her hands, trying hard to recall.
Finally, the memories from before she passed out returned.
"Wait, those people? Did you kill them all?"
"I drove them away."
Syanna proved surprisingly difficult to deceive.
"So they're dead... But why did you save me? You clearly didn't have to."
"How could I not save you? Your grandmother paid me a hefty sum. If I let those people kidnap you and then ransom you back to your grandmother? What do you take witchers for? We have a reputation to uphold, you know."
Syanna paused at his words, then said, "You knew I ran away?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"The moment you started feigning sleep."
Syanna froze.
"Then you heard my conversation with those Nilfgaardians too?"
"Every word."
Syanna paused again, then said, "In that case, take me back... Don't make that face yet."
She ticked off on her fingers, "Look, Grandmother wanted you to take me out of Toussaint, and you've done that. The contract is fulfilled."
"Now, I want you to take me to Lady Fringilla."
Lynn smiled.
He mimicked the merchant leader's tone.
"My noble lady, are you taking me for a fool, or your grandmother for a fool?"
"Do you think your grandmother would buy that story?"
Syanna waved her hands.
"You just don't tell her, won't you? Secretly take me to Lady Fringilla, and let her hide me."
"Lady Fringilla is very wealthy; she'll properly reward you in my stead."
"Alright, let's assume I agree," Lynn said, crossing his arms. "Then what?"
Syanna looked a bit bewildered by the question.
"Then what?"
Lynn spread his hands.
"You're a Child of Disaster. While you might not believe it, and I don't either, that doesn't stop the people of Toussaint from firmly believing it."
"Your grandmother was willing to risk offending the Brotherhood of Sorcerers to hand you over to me."
"Even if the Brotherhood of Sorcerers gets angry, it would at least appease public discontent. The nobles and commoners still support Her Grace the Duchess."
"But if you return to Toussaint, and the people discover that you never actually left Toussaint, do you know what would happen next?"
Lynn paused, giving Syanna a moment to think, before continuing.
"Fringilla told me that Toussaint, on the surface, appears peaceful. Outsiders who don't know the inside story might think it's a fairytale kingdom, but beneath it, currents are stirring."
"Toussaint's nobility generally divides into two factions:"
"One faction advocates for Toussaint to maintain the status quo, the 'Independence Faction.' Besides outsourcing national defense to Nilfgaard, they wish to retain their independence, not pay fealty to the Emperor, and not join Nilfgaard's foreign wars."
"The other faction advocates for merging with Nilfgaard, transforming Toussaint into one of Nilfgaard's provinces, the 'Merger Faction.'"
"In contrast to the 'Independence Faction,' the 'Merger Faction' believes Toussaint should actively participate in Nilfgaard's foreign wars to enter the Empire's ruling class and integrate with the Nilfgaardian nobility, thereby safeguarding Toussaint's interests."
"Your grandfather, the previous Prince of Toussaint, was actually assassinated by radical elements of the 'Merger Faction.'"
"Currently, the 'Independence Faction' and the 'Merger Faction' in Toussaint are evenly matched in influence."
"But if the granddaughter of Her Grace the Duchess, the leader of the 'Independence Faction,' were to return to Toussaint after the Duchess had already promised the people she would be exiled..."
"What do you think the people would think? What do you think the 'Merger Faction' would think?"
"If you don't know, then let me tell you how things would unfold:"
"Once the 'Merger Faction' learns of your return to Toussaint, they would immediately incite the populace to oppose Her Grace the Duchess and confront the ducal guard loyal to her."
"Then, no matter how much the ducal guard tries to restrain themselves, a crossbow bolt will inevitably fly from somewhere, leading to bloody conflict."
"Once blood is spilled, what happens next can no longer be controlled."
"All of Toussaint would be plunged into endless chaos and riots. With deliberate instigation from those with ulterior motives, the populace would completely turn against Her Grace the Duchess and the ducal guard. Toussaint would be forcibly torn into two, or even more, factions."
"If all of Toussaint opposes the Duchess, then the limited number of knight-errants and ducal guard would absolutely be unable to suppress the rebellion."
"At that point, some knight-errants and ducal guard soldiers might even join the opposing faction."
"And as this wind of rebellion intensifies, and the situation becomes severe beyond anyone's control..."
"The Nilfgaardian army would enter Toussaint under the pretext of maintaining stability in an allied nation, killing anyone who disobeys Nilfgaardian orders."
"If your grandmother and sister are still alive then, your grandmother will receive a cup of poisoned wine, and your sister will be married to the Emperor, ensuring the Emperor gains a strong claim to Toussaint."
"Finally, Nilfgaard would gain complete control over Toussaint. As for the nobles of the 'Merger Faction,' perhaps the Emperor would leave some alive for the sake of convenient rule and stability."
"But the vast majority of the rest would surely meet their end by various dubious means, leaving this world."
Perhaps Syanna had received an elite education, but for a human who had read different languages and foreign history extensively since childhood, and had over six thousand hours in Paradox Interactive's Crusader Kings series (a game about medieval politics and intrigue), he could see Toussaint's future after Syanna's choices even with his eyes closed.
....
For advanced chapters:
Get early access to 120 advanced chapters before anyone else!
👉 Join now: patreon.com/Chaos_God