Chapter 324: A Great Victory
The Nilfgaardians had no idea how many Skellige warriors there were, and in a situation like that, it was too much to ask for every common soldier to think calmly. Once panic spread, it was over.
At this moment, Count Tullius, who had just landed on the beach, had no idea what was happening on the front line. He just saw his vanguard in complete disarray. Then he heard shouts of, "We're defeated! We're defeated!"
Count Tullius didn't hesitate. He immediately turned back to the skiff he had come on and returned to the fleet with his guards. As he rowed toward the ships anchored in the shallow waters, he saw his own soldiers fighting over the skiffs, desperate to escape. He was relieved that he had reacted quickly; otherwise, he would have been in danger in the chaos.
In the end, the surviving Nilfgaardian soldiers fled back to the ships, but at a cost: over 600 Nilfgaardians were left behind forever.
Seeing the Nilfgaardian fleet depart, Count Torgier, Crach, and Lugos the Mad finally let out a sigh of relief. Even though they had just crushed the Nilfgaardians in a single, decisive attack, the enemy still outnumbered them. If the Nilfgaardians had realized the islanders' numerical inferiority and committed more fresh troops to the battle, their situation would have been perilous.
With the Nilfgaardians gone, the lords immediately had their men begin to clear the battlefield and treat the wounded. Originally, the islanders planned to kill all the wounded Nilfgaardians who couldn't escape. As for the nobles, that was one thing, but the Nilfgaardian Empire wouldn't pay ransom for common soldiers.
That's how it should have been. But Lynn stopped them. He offered a better proposal: treat the wounded Nilfgaardians and then have them repay the price of their lives with labor.
In this era, with no automated machines to speak of, manpower was a precious resource. Everything required human effort, so it would be a shame to simply kill these prisoners. The three lords listened to Lynn's suggestion and ultimately accepted it. They weren't afraid of the prisoners rebelling or escaping.
The prisoners would be divided equally among the three clans, and once separated, their numbers wouldn't be large enough to organize a rebellion. As for escaping, that wasn't a concern either. The Skellige Isles were far from the Continent, and they would need a ship to flee. Even with a ship, returning to Nilfgaard across the vast sea wasn't so simple.
After the discussion, Count Torgier smiled and said, "Witcher Lynn, Witcher Gerd, leave the cleanup to us. You two have worked hard. I'll have someone take you back to the castle."
But Lynn shook his head. "No, the battle isn't over." He pointed in the direction the Nilfgaardian fleet had left. "We can't just let them go."
"This..." Lugos the Mad and Crach exchanged glances.
Lugos scratched his head, feeling that his nickname, "the Mad," was more fitting for Lynn.
Lynn already had the beginnings of a plan in his mind. He quickly reviewed the geography of the Skellige Isles, combining his encyclopedic knowledge from the game with the sights and sounds he had experienced while traveling the islands on monster contracts. He quickly thought of a suitable place to ambush the Nilfgaardians again.
"Count Torgier, Lord Lugos, and Lord Crach, what I am about to say is very important. Please listen carefully."
Lynn told the three lords about the ambush location he had in mind, and he told them to have any other arriving clan reinforcements lie in wait there as well.
"What about me, brother? What do I need to do?" Gerd, covered in blood, asked anxiously when he realized he hadn't been given a task.
"You stay here and help them."
"And you?"
"The next part, I'll be more effective alone."
With that, Lynn drank a vial of White Honey to purge his body of the accumulated potions and toxins. A moment later, he drank a Superior Killer Whale potion, then leaped into the frigid sea, chasing after the Nilfgaardian fleet.
The Nilfgaardian fleet hadn't gone far. With his superhuman physique, Lynn quickly spotted the ships in the distance. To avoid being seen, he submerged himself and swam underwater. The Superior Killer Whale potion enhanced his oxygen capacity by 50% and improved his vision underwater.
It didn't take long for Lynn to approach the stern of the last ship in the fleet. He surfaced first, using his witcher senses to confirm that no one was looking his way. Then he climbed onto the deck at the stern and hid behind some crates. He took a standard Nilfgaardian uniform from his runed leather pouch and put it on, then used a Deception Charm to change his appearance.
In the chaos of the retreat, the surviving Nilfgaardian soldiers were still shaken. Not even the most strict officer would demand anything of them now. So, aside from the bare minimum of sentries, most of the soldiers had returned to their cabins to rest.
Lynn had planned to hide on the stern deck after changing, and if he were discovered, he would simply say he was too tired and needed a rest. But he never needed the excuse. No one came to the stern until nightfall.
After a day of rest to restore his energy, Lynn stood up from behind the crates. Dressed in a Nilfgaardian uniform and with his face altered by the deception charm, he wouldn't be exposed as long as he didn't speak. (Aside from the well-educated elite, most common Nilfgaardians don't speak Common, and the difference in accents between North and South is very obvious).
He scanned his surroundings, found a lone soldier, and as the man looked over in confusion, Lynn cast an Axii Sign. The soldier's expression immediately became vacant.
"I ask, you answer. Who commands this sub-fleet?"
"Count Tullius."
"What ship is he on?"
The soldier raised an arm and pointed to the ship in the very center of the fleet.
"Do you know a knight from the Duchy of the Arcane Coast named Charimier?"
The soldier nodded.
"Where is he?"
"He's also on the Count's ship, but I don't know anything else."
Lynn nodded. "Forget this conversation. You just spaced out."
While the Axii Sign was still active, Lynn quickly walked away. When no one was looking, he leaped off the side of the ship and, under the cover of night, swam toward the flagship.
..........
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