"Destiny is like a hungry snake that devours itself. As the inner box opens the outer box, the outer box opens the inner box. Destiny resembles the crown of a cauliflower, branching outward in every direction."
Jostein Gaarder, The Solitaire Mystery
...
"And so on and so forth."
After reuniting with Angoulême at dawn, they sat beside a stream and ate breakfast. Victor shared everything he had discussed with Triss the previous night, except for the private details.
"Ah! That sounds terrible. But after giving her so much advice, do you sincerely believe Geralt could be that heartless?"
The young man shrugged.
"Honestly, I don't know. I truly don't."
Victor did not know how to describe the conflict in his heart.
Based on his personal experiences with him, he did not believe the White Wolf could be so cruel. After all, everything Triss had done for Geralt had been genuine.
Yet Victor also knew that the story in his memories had offered several different paths. The Geralt he remembered was really the "ideal Geralt" he had chosen to play, not necessarily the real Geralt.
Besides, even if the White Wolf firmly decided to remain faithful to one woman for the rest of his life, one could condemn him for being heartless toward Triss while also praising his devotion to Yennefer.
No one knew how this great ethical drama of their triangular relationship would unfold.
"I don't know what their future will look like. What I do know is that people should remain calm and healthy. As long as they keep moving forward, the road will continue opening before them."
"Chief...!"
Angoulême nodded in agreement.
Victor snapped his fingers.
"Exactly. Those old people's love affairs aren't the important issue. They have long lives and plenty of time to settle their problems.
"The urgent issue is that my conversation with Triss last night made me realize our previous plan was far too simplistic.
"Originally, we intended to pull the witchers of the School of the Viper out of this quagmire and find somewhere for them to hide until everything calmed down. It's now obvious that won't work.
"Triss has already lost her position because of this affair, while Geralt has been falsely accused of regicide. For famous people like them, being unjustly condemned must be extraordinarily painful.
"Both sides are our friends. We cannot favor one and abandon the other. But if we intend to remain involved, we first need to decide which side we'll support."
"Which side?" the girl asked in confusion.
"It will be impossible to avoid choosing one. Iorveth and Vernon Roche are also mortal enemies.
"Unless we turn around and leave immediately, allowing events to develop without our interference, we'll eventually have to take a side.
"When we discussed the Phantom Troupe's principles two years ago, we decided that if personal loyalty ever conflicted with abstract justice, we would support our friends. Can you offer me some advice this time?"
Angoulême scratched the back of her head and thought for a moment.
Her mind promptly froze. Her mouth opened, but she could not produce an answer.
Emotionally, she favored Geralt over Letho. However, she knew that Letho had always treated them well.
He had supported them in the sewers. He had freely given them the recipe for the vitality broth they frequently drank. Serrit and Auckes had also treated her kindly, teaching her nearly everything they knew about the School of the Viper's techniques.
When it was three against one, weighing those bonds became extremely difficult.
Then there was the choice between humans and elves.
She had no particular friendship with Roche, but she got along well with Ves and had once fought beside the Blue Stripes.
On the other hand, Angoulême had been completely at home in the forest and made many friends there. She had also witnessed humans oppressing elves on numerous occasions. Emotionally, she regarded the Scoia'tael as the weaker side.
She opened her mouth several times, yet ultimately said nothing.
The young man shook his head. He had expected that she would not have an answer.
Foltest was already gone, so they had to look ahead. Yet with the futures of so many friends involved, Victor also found it difficult to decide.
He knew that he was no longer an irrelevant background figure.
Whichever side he chose to support, his involvement might not decide everything, but it would certainly become a decisive weight on the scales.
Geralt and Triss had unquestionably suffered an undeserved calamity. Even so, Victor could not emotionally accept betraying Letho to save them.
"That's right. You understand our predicament now.
"Letho's advice was for us to fuck off. Admittedly, if we go far enough away, then no matter how events develop, none of it will have anything to do with us. What do you think of his suggestion?"
Angoulême folded her arms.
"Leaving is impossible. Since I have the power to intervene, I'm not going to stand aside and watch.
"But based on what we currently know, I can't make a decision. I don't even know why Letho is assassinating kings.
"Maybe we should wait, observe, and gather more information?"
"That's a good idea, but an old Bell Town proverb says that failing to plan is planning to fail.
"If we simply wait to see who wins, we may eventually discover that we have been forced into a position where a decision is unavoidable. Suddenly, we'll have to draw our swords against one side or the other.
"I don't want that. That's why I'm so troubled now. I'm trying to find some clever method or perfect compromise that could resolve the problem."
"Hah! A perfect compromise? That would only be possible if we were the rulers of the entire world, sovereigns of Nilfgaard, Temeria, Redania, Kaedwen, Aedirn, Skellige, and Toussaint.
"Then one sentence from us would be enough to end everything exactly as you wanted!
"At least, I can't think of any other solution. The conflicts between these people are completely irreconcilable."
Victor did not argue.
He knew that a solution existed. In the version he had experienced in his previous life, Geralt cleared his name and Letho survived.
In other words, if Victor simply walked away, events might naturally reach that conclusion.
But what if they did not?
After what had happened to King Foltest, after being toyed with by cause and effect, the witcher had begun to hesitate.
Perhaps destiny required his hand in certain events before it could reach the outcome he desired.
Did human will overcome destiny, or was everything predetermined?
Those who saw through destiny were destined to suffer its torments.
After considering the matter from every angle, Victor sighed.
"Forget it. I don't have a better idea either. We'll continue observing for now.
"The reason I wanted to warn you in advance is simply because... Let me make one thing clear. Whatever answer you give will not make me think any less of you.
"I only want to know... if... and I mean only if we were given no other choice..."
"I would stand with you," Angoulême interrupted firmly. "Wherever your sword points, mine will point as well!"
Moved by her shining decisiveness, Victor turned his gaze elsewhere.
"Thank you. I hope you know that if you strongly favor one side, I'm willing to consider your opinion."
"You're the Chief, so you decide. I'm not as sentimental as you. When circumstances force me to draw my sword, I never hesitate."
Victor shook his head and laughed.
She was right. Knowing too much was precisely what made him indecisive and afraid to commit himself.
Whatever happened, his companion's declaration brought him immense comfort.
Knowing that someone would stand beside him regardless of his decision felt wonderful. The tension in his serious expression gradually faded.
"Still, Chief, there's something I'd like to try."
Victor turned toward Angoulême questioningly.
"It concerns Seherim. His wife, Moril, suddenly disappeared last year.
"When we lived near Flotsam, we were all friends who spent time together. I personally witnessed how deeply they loved each other and how happy they were. She had absolutely no reason to abandon her husband.
"I think there must be something suspicious behind her disappearance. Once we enter town, I want to investigate and see whether I can discover what happened to her.
"Ciaran has also disappeared without a trace. Iorveth never specifically mentioned him, but the fact that I returned and Ciaran didn't appear is strange by itself."
Victor closed his eyes for several seconds before finally remembering who Ciaran was.
Ciaran aep Easnillen, Iorveth's adjutant and one of Angoulême's devoted admirers two years ago.
Thinking about that admiration, Victor stared at Angoulême's eyebrows.
He truly could not understand elven standards of beauty. Why would a handsome elf like Ciaran be so completely infatuated with her?
It remained one of the many mysteries he had been unable to solve since arriving in this world.
The girl knitted her brows and glared viciously at the young man.
"I have a feeling... No, I'm certain that you're thinking something extremely rude about my eyebrows!"
Caught by his companion, Victor could not restrain his laughter.
He laughed for quite some time before finally recovering.
"Tell me how you intend to investigate. We can set Ciaran aside for the moment, but Moril has been missing for almost a year. Surely you aren't planning to wander around asking everyone about her?"
Angoulême rolled her eyes.
"That is exactly what I'm planning to do!
"Once enough people know I'm investigating, I'll naturally be able to distinguish allies from enemies. And if I keep what I want to discover clearly in mind, Eagle Eye will give me clues."
Victor covered his mouth and yawned.
If used properly, her ability was practically an investigator's cheat.
Anyone who knew what had happened to Moril would inevitably develop some sense of hostility or goodwill toward Angoulême once they discovered she was investigating. Whether their intentions were good or bad, they could not escape Eagle Eye's judgment.
The weakness of such an investigative method was equally obvious.
"You understand that doing this could be dangerous, don't you?"
"I know. I'll be deliberately drawing their attention to myself. But with Eagle Eye, I think those risks can be overcome."
Realizing that she understood the danger, Victor nodded.
He took numerous potion vials and several Devil's Puffballs from the Endless Herbal Satchel, along with a strangely shaped iron mask and a cloak that altered the wearer's apparent build.
Its carefully prepared color was a dull, unremarkable black that made the wearer easy to overlook.
The Chief handed all that equipment to his companion, together with two bags filled with crowns.
"We'll enter town separately. During this visit to Flotsam, we'll operate independently. You'll investigate the disappearances while I gather information."
"Chief, what do you mean by that?"
Angoulême looked confused, believing Victor disapproved of her plan.
"It doesn't mean anything complicated. I'm allowing you to try because you want to help your friends and possess the ability to do so.
"But casting such a wide investigative net could produce no results at all, or you might accidentally kick a hornet's nest. If that happens, being associated with you would make it difficult for me to continue operating inside town.
"So we might as well separate from the beginning.
"And since we're separating, you already know that I have serious doubts about Bernard Loredo. Therefore, while we're acting independently, I authorize you to invoke Assassin's Creed."
At those final words, Angoulême's eyes instantly began to sparkle.
She had never imagined that she would receive that ultimate authorization.
Of all the lessons the Chief had taught her, Assassin's Creed suited her tastes better than any other.
After learning it, however, she had admitted that it was also the method requiring the greatest degree of self-control.
"Nothing is true, everything is permitted!"
It meant she could do whatever she believed necessary, kill anyone who truly needed to die, and take any action that had to be taken.
The girl's cheeks flushed with excitement.
"Are... Are you certain this is all right? Are you sure you want to give me that much authority?
"This is a prosperous town. I might end up slaughtering half the place!"
The young man raised one finger and waved it from side to side.
"Considering your recent performance, I trust your judgment.
"You and your Golden Eagle are free. Do everything you consider necessary, and consider carefully everything you believe necessary."
Those words warmed Angoulême more than any winter fire.
Her heart suddenly swelled, and tears filled her eyes as an intense sense of honor surged through her.
The Chief trusted her so deeply, and she had accepted the great mission of finding her friend's missing wife.
"Even if you cause a major disturbance, it won't matter. No one will recognize you, so you don't need to worry about your reputation.
"Immediately retreat into Iorveth's territory and ask for his protection. I'll clean up whatever mess you leave behind," Victor added calmly.
Angoulême's expression went blank as she clenched her fists.
It was not the first time, and it certainly would not be the last, that a member of the Phantom Troupe felt the urge to beat their Chief senseless.
...
Thus, the Phantom Troupe divided into two teams.
After paying the entrance fee and entering Flotsam, Victor's first priority was to find somewhere he could bathe.
Ever since leaving Temeria, he had accumulated considerable stress, along with the dirt and grime of constant travel. He genuinely needed a thorough washing.
As he had once promised himself, he intended to become a witcher for a new age.
He would bathe every day, remain neat and clean, keep both his hair and beard carefully styled, and become an elegant gentleman hunter.
After putting on his sunglasses and asking for directions, Victor soon arrived at the Ladies' Secret Chamber, located in the basement of Limping Sam's Inn.
Before he could enter, someone called to him from nearby.
"Oh, brother of my soul! Geralt said you would probably arrive in Flotsam within the next few days. I knew I would encounter you here. My prediction was flawless!"
Dandelion, the famous northern bard, composer, singer, and writer whose handsomeness inspired envy, approached and embraced the witcher.
Victor happily returned the embrace.
The man was a cynical, lecherous, womanizing, lying bastard, but they were also sincere friends.
"Tell me, what are you doing here, you fool? I thought you would run to Novigrad after the riots in Vizima ended!"
"Please! What else could I possibly be doing here? Naturally, the same thing you're preparing to do!
"Before we celebrate our reunion with fine wine and poetry, come, allow me to introduce this respectable lady, Madam Margot!"
Dandelion dragged Victor over to the woman who managed the Secret Chamber.
She wore a small green hat decorated with goose feathers. Her cheeks were covered in vivid rouge, while her neckline was so extraordinarily open and pale that one glance revealed considerably more than half of her breasts.
Margot looked over the travel-worn Victor and examined his soft, finely tailored clothes.
A radiant smile spread across her round face.
"Well, look who has arrived! Our handsome poet who is not quite so handsome when the bill comes due has brought me another beautiful man today?
"My, my. One look at you, sir, and I already regret retiring so early!"
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