Chapter 367: Call to Arms
In the autumn of 1146, the Queen commanded the witchers to escort the Prince to the western end of the Continent for a marriage alliance with the princess of the Kingdom of Metinna (now a Nilfgaardian province).
Due to the importance of the matter, almost the entire Manticore School mobilized, with Imad himself remaining constantly at the Prince's side.
However, when the procession passed through the Faelorn Mountains, they were confronted by a colossal fire elemental, nearly twenty meters tall. Despite the witchers' desperate efforts, the Manticore School was almost completely annihilated, and the royal entourage suffered heavy casualties.
An elemental creature of that magnitude could not have manifested naturally; it must have been summoned. Thus, the public speculated that the attack was orchestrated by enemies of the Zerrikanian royalty or the Manticore School. This day was forever named the Day of Fire.
After the Day of Fire, the surviving Manticore witchers were shunned by the royalty, leading to the school's gradual decline.
Even if he didn't have his own grand enterprise, Lynn wouldn't take Borch's offer to become a Queen's Guard. Honors and status without real power were as fragile as a castle in the air. The Manticore School had proven this in the past, and in another timeline, the Brotherhood of Sorcerers would prove it again.
Of course, Lynn still had to thank Borch for his goodwill. The golden dragon wasn't trying to trick him, but his viewpoint, limited by his own echelon, inevitably constrained his understanding of the world. Lynn retrieved a bottle of his vineyard's rose wine from his runic pouch and handed it to Borch, an expression of gratitude for the dragon's thoughtfulness.
Once Borch accepted the wine, Lynn finally revealed the purpose of his call.
"Lord Borch, have you ever heard of the Manticore School?"
"Of course. I imagine no Zerrikanian is unfamiliar with their name," Borch raised an eyebrow. "Why? Do you have business with them?"
Lynn replied, "I hope you can help me contact the Manticore School. I plan to sign a contract to hire them. The meeting location will be the Casteldaccia Vineyard in Toussaint. When they arrive, tell them to inform the butler they are waiting on the orders of Baron Brandon. Someone will arrange everything for them afterward."
Borch agreed without hesitation. "Fine, that's no problem. In fact, ever since the Day of Fire, the surviving Manticore School has been secretly sponsored by my organization. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to stay in Zerrikania at all."
"Casteldaccia Vineyard, got it. I'll remember the name. I'll have someone contact them. But, Baron Brandon... are you well acquainted with this person? Is he also a friend of yours?"
Lynn certainly wasn't going to tell everyone this was his alter-ego. Even though he was sure Borch wouldn't betray him, he hadn't yet established a hidden alliance with the Golden Dragon, so it was better to keep some things to himself for now.
"Something like that," Lynn replied.
Borch's image suddenly began to waver. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. This horn was merely a spontaneous creation of mine, and its internal energy storage is limited. It seems the energy is almost depleted now."
"But don't worry, just leave it in a place where chaotic energy converges, and it will recharge itself in no time. Lord Lynn, I've noted down all your instructions. Rest assured. However, next time there's an opportunity, I hope we can share a drink and converse as we did before."
Lynn stated solemnly, "We absolutely will."
As he finished speaking, Borch's form could no longer hold and dissipated back into the air currents.
The peaceful life Lynn experienced at Kaer Morhen during this return passed quickly. The dwarves treated the castle as their second home, and the elves rescued from Kaedwen had grown accustomed to living alongside the witchers and dwarves.
Lynn went to the Circle of Elements on the back mountain to charge the Dragon Horn. While there, he visited the troll family living on the mountain. He considered bringing the trolls into the castle to prevent any tragic accidents where the castle residents might mistake the trolls for monsters, but he quickly decided against it.
Trolls, in their simple-mindedness, were not suitable for living closely with others yet. Hiring a troll as a bodyguard to guard the underground vault? Yes. But incorporating them into an army to fight alongside allies? Absolutely not. In The Witcher 3, the Redanians recruited a troll who couldn't control its strength, killed both allies and enemies, and even cooked them together in a large pot. Therefore, Lynn could imagine the chaos having a troll family in the castle would cause. It was better for everyone to stay in their own domains.
After introducing the trolls and having them stay for dinner, he let them return to the back mountain. But he also instructed the others to occasionally bring them food (preferably) and socialize, to nurture their relationship.
On the last day of December, everyone gathered in the castle hall to celebrate the New Year. Witchers didn't traditionally celebrate the New Year, but with Tissaia and Yennefer present, the sense of occasion naturally followed.
They lit many candles, illuminating the great hall as bright as day. Except for those on guard duty on the exterior walls and towers, everyone gathered inside to enjoy the food and wine. For a while, the hall was filled with laughter and cheer. Lynn drank a round with everyone present, then excused himself to bring food and wine to the guards keeping watch on the walls.
This world was not a good place. War, racial conflict, monster attacks... People lived as if in hell. But here, now, in Kaer Morhen deep within the Blue Mountains, it was a tiny haven amidst the brutal reality, like a paradise on earth. Everyone here felt the warmth of home.
As the footsteps of spring quietly approached Kaer Morhen, Lynn was on the verge of his next departure.
One day, he gathered Oakes, Serrit, Lambert, Eskel, and Gede.
"I have a difficult mission to assign to you," Lynn said seriously.
Lambert's sarcasm was as sharp as ever: "Is there any mission harder than babysitting snot-nosed brats?"
Eskel rubbed his forehead: "Lambert, no one will mistake you for being mute if you just keep quiet."
Lynn ignored him and addressed the Viper School brothers. "Oakes, Serrit, I want you to return to the South and rally all the witchers still active there."
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