Chapter 278: Recruiting the Dwarf Brothers
In the future, the Valley of Flowers, also known as Dol Blathanna, would be built on the sacrifice of countless Scoia'tael.
Even after the Valley of Flowers, a nation ruled by the elves themselves, was established, Francesca still demanded that the Scoia'tael continue their fight in the North. Only by keeping the North constantly plagued by these raids could Dol Blathanna remain safe.
The rank-and-file soldiers of the Scoia'tael, starving in the forests and always on the verge of being surrounded and wiped out by human armies, would likely never know that they were merely pawns, thrown away and sacrificed at will.
Lynn felt little sympathy for the Scoia'tael, as they repaid human cruelty with their own brutal acts. But for the oppressed nonhumans who had not yet joined the Scoia'tael, Lynn was willing to extend a hand to pull them out of the mud.
Lynn spent over a month exploring the area beyond the mountains behind Kaer Morhen. There, he discovered vast tracts of land. He hadn't ventured further, but his month-long exploration of this specific area was thorough. During his scouting, his witcher medallion remained silent. There were no ancient monsters or terrifying presences lurking in the land. This gave Lynn an idea for how to use the land.
Of course, he didn't intend to farm it. This world had cold-resistant crops, and they might yield some harvest. But the harsh climate and barren soil meant that the ceiling for agriculture here would be low.
What Lynn was thinking was this: the Dragon's Mouth Mountains and the Mahakam Mountains both held massive mineral deposits. So how could the even larger Blue Mountains be completely devoid of ore? It couldn't be!
Therefore, Lynn decided to find an expert in geological surveying. Mahakam was out of the question. His last visit there had been pleasant, but he couldn't be sure that Elder Brouver Hoog would lend him an expert. Besides, if the deep Blue Mountains really did have ore deposits, even the best relations wouldn't be enough to keep a leader from trying to capitalize on such news. If Mahakam was a bust, his only other option was to seek out the Circle of Druids in the Skellige Isles.
The Circle of Druids was similar to a druid version of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers. However, compared to the actual Brotherhood, the Circle of Druids held far less power and prestige. They had deliberately withdrawn from the North to ensure a peaceful coexistence with the Brotherhood of Sorcerers. Aside from Skellige, the Circles on the continent were located in secluded forests and wilderness, far from civilized society and unknown to most outsiders.
Time passed quickly. It felt like he had just returned to Kaer Morhen, but soon it was time to leave again. Tissaia and Yennefer had finished their analysis of Morvudd's method for a second mutation. Based on reliable experimental data, they concluded that the second mutation Morvudd had developed was relatively safe. However, Morvudd was just an ordinary sorcerer. While his persistence and dedication were admirable, to high-level talents like Tissaia and Yennefer, it was far from enough.
Tissaia told Lynn he was lucky he hadn't used it on himself or his witcher brothers rashly. It wasn't that it was dangerous, but that the second mutation had room for optimization and further improvement. Therefore, the sorceresses' next task would be to fully unlock the potential of the second mutation and optimize it to the maximum extent.
"Lady Tissaia, I don't know what to say."
Even Lynn was at a loss for words. Could words truly express his gratitude to a high-level sorceress, a near-legend, who was so dedicated to his cause, treating it as her own?
With a hint of weariness on her face, Tissaia gave him an understanding smile. "There's no need to say anything. Just remember our agreement and honor it when the time comes."
Lynn spoke with solemnity. "Rest assured, Lady Tissaia. The witchers will always be allies of Aretuza."
A few days before he was scheduled to depart, Lynn sought out the dwarves again.
"Yarpen, and Zoltan, brothers, come over for a minute. I have something to discuss with you."
The dwarves put down their Gwent cards and came to Lynn, looking up at him.
"What do you think of me? As an employer, I mean."
Yarpen was the first to speak, his voice as loud as thunder. "Is that even a question? I doubt you could find a more generous and decent employer anywhere on the continent."
The other dwarves murmured their agreement with Yarpen's words.
Seeing that their opinion of him was what he had hoped, Lynn continued. "Then would you be willing to continue working for me? I can continue to pay you a substantial wage."
The dwarves looked at each other.
Zoltan spread his hands and voiced the question on everyone's mind. "But we've finished all the work on the castle. What else would you need us to do?"
Meeting the dwarves' bewildered gazes, the witcher explained. "It's like this: the repairs on Kaer Morhen are finished, but a castle this big is bound to attract unwelcome attention..."
With that, the dwarves instantly understood.
Yarpen scratched his head. "So you want us to stay and guard the castle for you?"
Lynn nodded. "Exactly. And of course, I'll still pay you the same wage. In addition, you'll have one day off every week. If any of you wants to go home to visit family, you can ask for leave from me, or from whoever is managing the castle when I'm away. Your pay will continue during your leave."
Yarpen, Zoltan, and their comrades were all good men. Now that they were here, how could Lynn bear to let them go?
And just as Lynn had a good impression of Yarpen and Zoltan, the dwarves had a good impression of Lynn. In this day and age, an employer who paid on time was a rarity. As for an employer who promised a certain wage but only paid seventy or eighty percent of it, or even less, that was a common occurrence.
Lynn, however, never delayed their pay and always paid exactly what he promised, not a single coin less.
"What do you say, boys?"
"I think it's a good deal," Yarpen shouted. "It doesn't matter who we're working for. Lynn and us are old friends now, and it's easier to talk with familiar faces."
Yarpen's brothers all cheered in agreement.
Lynn waved his hand. "Friends are friends, but business is business. I don't want to ruin a good friendship over money."
Zoltan had also come to an agreement. "No problems here either. All right then, it's settled. Our axes and our brothers are at your service, witcher."
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