boyutpedia Chapter 70 Lindenville's Request
Chapter 70 Lindenville's Request
"Ogild, he knew the prince's identity from the beginning, a man who studied black magic and made an almost unsolvable pact with the Master of Mirrors."
He hired you to kill the monster, but he was well aware of the consequences you would face. If you died at the hands of the Ophir, he wouldn't even need to pay you.
Geralt did not refute.
"Within the contract, the Master of the Mirror abided by every word of the contract and fulfilled Olgierd's wish. Whatever price Olgierd had to pay was a normal settlement upon the expiration of the contract."
Ron paused and looked at Geralt.
"Based on the above analysis, my final conclusion is that you are not the debtor. The other party's target is Eugierd, and you are merely an agent who carries out the wish. Once the task is completed, the contract terminates, and you are not included in the contract terms."
He has no motive to make things difficult for you; his actions are all based on contracts. He's too lazy to do anything unnecessary, and Olgierd isn't worth the risk.
Geralt looked at Ron, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke, his tone no longer so heavy, more like a casual question.
"How's it going on your end? The witch hunter spotted Keira in the Hunchback Swamp. Any news from Radovid?"
Ron moved the pottery jar aside, glanced at Geralt, and said, "He wrote a letter. There were no threatening words, but every sentence was a threat."
"What does he want?"
"Submit, outwardly maintain allegiance to Nilfgaard, and he'll tell me what to do when the time is right," Ron leaned back deeply into his chair.
"He holds three bargaining chips: a food embargo on Velen, evidence of the ambush on the Nilfgaardian squad, and the cooperation of the Blue Iron Guards. But he hasn't handed over the evidence to the Merchants' Guild; he's waiting for my response."
Geralt moved his sword aside. "So, what are you planning to do?"
Ron paused for a moment: "I can only neither agree nor refuse, and try to calm things down for now."
Geralt's lips twitched slightly. "Heh, I'm afraid I'll never understand such a complex thing as politics. So, how long will your food supply last?"
"It's enough to support the current size of the army, but if we want to continue expanding, we'll be choked." Ron tapped his hand lightly on the table.
"But he wants pieces, and I want time. We each get what we need, and let's see who has the last laugh."
Gerald nodded, not asking Ron how he planned to break the deadlock. He knew that when this man said he needed time, he usually already had a plan in progress.
He picked up the sword and hung it on his back. He paused at the door, saying, "You can come find me in Novigrad if you need anything."
"OK"
a few days later.
With the agreement for Reardon Estate finalized, the next steps in the architectural restoration plan are now on the table.
The blueprints show the structure of the main building and the boundaries of the surrounding usable land. The gaps in the wall need stone, the roof of the main building needs new beams, and the frame of the granary is still usable but needs to be reinforced.
"The three garrisons support each other, and the most densely populated areas are all within this triangular zone. The craftsmen have already set off, and stone and timber have been allocated from the inventory. The soldiers are waiting to be stationed there after the main building is repaired."
Ron nodded, and Erwin turned to the next page on the notepad.
"The elders of Lindenville sent a message yesterday that a monster with a deer's head and a human body has appeared near their village. It often appears deep in the forest and attacks lumberjacks and hunters. The elders request that you send troops to deal with it."
I looked up some information, and a monster called the Deer-Headed Demon is the closest to the description. It usually lives in the forest and attacks intruders who invade its territory. In some areas, villagers regard this monster as the guardian of the forest and even offer it sacrifices.
"I'll personally lead two squads of regular troops there, and also take a look at the layout of Reardon Manor. Lyndenville is our trading partner, and dealing with this problem will also benefit the upcoming garrison."
Ron put down the blueprints: "How much silver solution does Kayla have left?"
"Enough to equip all the soldiers to be deployed."
"Distribute them and apply them to all the weapons before departure."
The next day, just as the sun rose, thirty regular soldiers lined up on the training ground. The soldiers were divided into two squads, and all of them were equipped with standard breastplates, spears, kite shields, crossbows, and javelins. After the water-powered forging hammers were put into production, the soldiers' equipment almost reached the point where all of them were fully armored.
Before setting off, each person received a silver solution ration from the quartermaster. This consumable resource was used to fight monsters and, when applied to weapons, would produce an additional penetrating effect against them.
The soldiers dipped coarse linen in the solution and smeared it evenly from the spearheads to the blades with practiced ease. Ron glanced at the ranks, then mounted his horse.
The troops arrived in Lindenville in the afternoon, and several civilians who were chopping wood saw the orderly column approaching from afar, their axes stopping in mid-air.
The procession stopped at the village entrance without any commotion or random entry into houses. They lined up in an open space, spear shafts planted firmly on the ground, and shields held at their sides.
A few bolder villagers peeked out of the house and saw that the soldiers were just standing quietly. No one broke into the house or looted supplies. Someone whispered something, and the person next to him shook his head.
The elder of Lindenville was a thin old man, wearing an old robe. He was wiping sweat with his sleeve as he hurried over. He looked up and his lips moved twice before he managed to squeeze out a complete sentence.
"My lord, you've come in person! That monster has been wandering the mountains for a long time and has already attacked several carpenters. We really have no choice..."
Ron didn't waste any time with pleasantries. "Have your men lead the way to where it's been spotted recently."
The elder breathed a sigh of relief, but then a worried expression appeared on his face. He waved to the crowd, and a young man stepped out, holding an old pitchfork in his hand. The elder whispered a few words of advice, and the young man nodded vigorously.
During a break in the conversation, Ron noticed the villagers watching. A woman stood at the front, wearing an old cloth dress full of patches, with two very young children standing beside her, timidly tugging at her clothes.
The elder followed Ron's gaze and said in a low voice, "Her husband went to join the army to fight against the Nilfgaardians and never came back. She raised her two children alone and barely made ends meet by doing odd jobs."
The woman noticed Ron looking at her and instinctively lowered her head and took a half step back, but the two children beside her did not move. They were too young to understand what fear was and stared wide-eyed at the person on horseback.
She raised her hand and gently placed it on the two children's shoulders, then looked up at Ron, her voice still trembling. "Sir... when will the war end? Will that day really come?"
The open space fell silent, and all the villagers looked at Ron, waiting for his answer.
Ron’s voice was deep and resonant, like a war drum pounding on the chest: “I am your lord and your protector. In my territory, no one is allowed to plunder villages, nor will I allow bandits and monsters to harass my people.”
The war may not end soon, but you can live safely under the protection of my army.
This is my responsibility, and you also need to fulfill your responsibilities: cultivate the land, pay taxes, and serve in the army. As long as you remain loyal to me, this promise will last forever.
His gaze shifted from the woman to the surrounding villagers: "The manor is being repaired, the army is about to move in, and Lyndenville will be under my protection from now on. Trade routes will reopen, and the day the war ends will come."
The woman stood there, wanting to say something, but something seemed to be blocking her throat. She nodded vigorously and hugged the two children even tighter to her side.
Ron led his soldiers forward. From the crowd beside him, someone whispered in a dialect, "Temeria isn't over yet. Velen still has lords; they'll lead us sooner or later..."
Some people tightened their grip on the hoe handle, looking at Ron's retreating figure with a hint of hope.