Not only was Foltest utterly exhausted, but the two sorceresses were also drained to the limit. Fatigue was etched across their faces.
Keira ignored all pretense of sorceress elegance and simply collapsed onto the floor.
Triss, however, forced herself to kneel before Foltest. She first removed the ribbons binding him, and then her hands flared with magic once more. This time, she was casting a healing spell.
After a long moment, Foltest felt only marginally better than before, still terribly weak. He felt especially cold, like he had lost too much blood.
"Has the mark planted by that unspeakable being been cleansed?"
"I regret to say, Your Majesty, the cleansing ritual merely faded the Deep Sea Mark slightly. To remove it completely will require several more rituals. Furthermore..."
Triss lowered the glow of her magic, weariness filling her face. "Until the Deep Sea Mark is fully purged from your body, we cannot remain here. We don't know why Its gaze has fallen upon you, but we must leave Vizima, leave this city so close to a lake, as quickly as possible. We need to travel inland, to a city with no major lakes or rivers, until the cleansing is complete."
Keira, sitting on the floor, suddenly interjected: "We can go to Aretuza."
Triss was shocked. "Are you mad, Keira? Aretuza is on Thanedd Island! That's a small island surrounded by the sea on three sides!"
Keira bristled. "But it is also the sacred sanctuary of Northern sorceresses. Thanedd is protected by countless spells and wards. Even a god couldn't forcibly break Aretuza's barrier."
"Marguerite won't agree," Triss quickly glanced at Foltest's expression. Aside from weakness, Triss couldn't read the King's inner thoughts. The red-haired beauty bit her lip and continued. "Tissaia chose Marguerite to succeed her for a reason: neither you nor I prioritize the safety of our students as highly as Marguerite does. She will not agree to bring disaster to Aretuza, not even for the King."
At this, Triss lowered her head to Foltest. "Please forgive the offense in my words, Your Majesty."
"I understand," Foltest nodded slightly, his face unrevealing.
Even if he felt displeasure, what did it matter? The Aretuza Academy, like the Ban Ard Academy, was a neutral organization existing beyond national jurisdiction and had the right to refuse asylum to a king. Historically, there was a record of a defeated king fleeing to Thanedd Island and requesting sanctuary, only for the Academy to activate its fully sealed ward, preventing anyone from entering or leaving.
Even when that king miraculously won the war, he dared not wage war against Aretuza until his dying day. Furthermore, while Keira and Triss had graduated from Aretuza, it remained their sacred site, and Foltest was currently dependent on them for his life. What could he say?
"Lady Triss, where do you suggest we go?"
Triss thought for a moment. "If you do not mind, you could travel to my family's city—Maribor."
Maribor was the capital of the Principality of Maribor, a vassal state of Temeria. The city had once been half-destroyed by a terrifying giant monster summoned by Alzur, but over the years, the Mariborians had long since rebuilt their proud city on the ruins of the past.
Foltest considered this and agreed to Triss's proposal.
At the same time, in the Upper Quarter of Novigrad.
In the guest room behind the Thainsell Blacksmith shop.
The Elven blacksmith sat facing Lynn. Candlelight flickered in the room.
Thainsell rubbed his face vigorously and blinked his eyes several times before asking, "I didn't mishear you, did I? You just said Adamantium ore?"
Lynn nodded. "Yes, you heard right."
"But Adamantium is only found in Mahakam, not even Kovir or Poviss possess it," Thainsell held out his hands in a placating gesture. "Sir, it's not that I don't believe you, it's mainly because you're a witcher, not a geological surveyor."
Immediately after returning to Novigrad from Kaer Morhen, Lynn had come to Thainsell's shop to inform the Elven blacksmith about the discovery of the Adamantium vein deep within the Blue Mountains. Thainsell's first reaction was disbelief.
"I can understand."
In Lynn's original world, there was an old saying: actions speak louder than words. It was undoubtedly fitting here.
So, he wasted no more breath. He pulled a piece of Adamantium ore, which he and Mousesack had excavated while still at Kaer Morhen, from his runic leather pouch.
As he produced the Adamantium, the candlelight illuminating the room reflected off the ore, causing it to flash brightly.
Thainsell licked his lips and sought Lynn's permission with his eyes: "May I?"
Lynn placed the Adamantium ore on the table, then stepped back, motioning for Thainsell to proceed.
Thainsell grabbed a two-handed iron hammer, gripping it tightly, raising it high, and bringing it down with force.
Bang!
The jarring sound of metal collision echoed in the room. The table couldn't withstand the impact, and the section of the tabletop supporting the Adamantium ore cracked and fell to the floor. Thainsell felt a powerful rebound, his hands jarred and numb, nearly losing his grip on the hammer.
Lynn quickly stepped over, taking the hammer from the Elven blacksmith's hands before the smith, weakened by the shock, could drop it and hurt himself.
However, judging by Thainsell's expression, he wasn't worried about himself at all; his face was full of excitement and enthusiasm.
"This is actually Adamantium ore?!"
The method for authenticating Adamantium ore was quite simple: First, hold it under the sun or near any light source; if it gleamed brightly, it passed the first test. Second, strike it with something hard—the harder the better. If the ore remained completely unscathed afterward, or showed only extremely minor wear, then it was Adamantium.
Naturally, due to its incredible hardness, Adamantium ore required a special smelting method, unlike ordinary iron ore. Theoretically, the knowledge of Adamantium smelting was exclusively held by the Gnomes and Dwarves of the Mahakam Mountains; even the dwarves outside the mountains were unaware of it, as Mahakam strictly forbade its transmission.
But Thainsell was an exception.
One day, over three hundred years ago, Thainsell left the North intending to start a new life in the South. While passing through the Mahakam Mountains, he encountered a Dwarf fleeing from the mountains. The Dwarf was covered in injuries, having clearly endured great hardship to escape the slopes. Thanks to Thainsell's meticulous care, the Dwarf eventually recovered from his life-threatening condition.
Later, Thainsell learned from the Dwarf that a great plague had broken out on the mountains. Everyone with a high fever had been quarantined by Elder Otto. Initially, such a measure was hard to condemn; though cruel, it was necessary to prevent the plague from spreading.
However, the Dwarf later heard from a relative serving in the guard that the quarantined individuals had been secretly executed by the guard, their bodies burned completely. Furthermore, this was not the order of the Guard Commander but came directly from Elder Otto himself.
After learning the truth from his relative, the Dwarf planned to sneak away. However, before the Dwarf could enact his escape plan, a riot suddenly broke out one night, with fire and shouting everywhere. The Dwarf was told by a passing guard to remain at home, but after intense internal struggle, he decided to seize the rare opportunity to escape.
The Dwarf remembered little of what happened next, only that in his flight for life, his hands, which had only ever wielded a hammer, were stained with blood.
After being saved by Thainsell, the Dwarf imparted all his lifelong knowledge, holding nothing back, to the Elven blacksmith. Among this knowledge was the special smelting method for Adamantium ore.
However, for the three centuries that followed, Thainsell never had the opportunity to see another piece of Adamantium ore, and thus no chance to demonstrate the smelting method he had learned from the Dwarf.
Until now, when a piece of Adamantium ore, a material legendary for never leaving Mahakam, lay before him.
.............
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