[Name: Novigrad Longsword]
[Type: Weapon]
[Quality: Fine]
[Attack Power: Average]
[Trait: Kingslayer: God-Favored Bloodline]
[Enchantment: None]
[Note: A fine work by the Dumpling Master, Éibhear Hattori]
...
[Name: Kingslayer: God-Favored Bloodline]
[Applicable To: Weapons]
[Effect: Within ten yards, if a hostile target possesses a god-favored bloodline, all attributes and armor penetration are greatly increased]
...
Victor's Alchemy Workshop.
Sitting on the sofa, the alchemist weighed the longsword in his hand.
Its trait, [Kingslayer: God-Favored Bloodline], was almost identical to [Kingslayer: Unicorn Bloodline], and it had not been easy to obtain. Victor had acquired it through an experiment involving Stennis and Angoulême not long ago, proving that the Kingslayer series of traits could be mass-produced.
The production method could be described as extremely simple, yet not truly simple at all.
Merely injuring someone and drawing blood had proven completely useless. What was required was "an attack made with the intent to kill, causing ancient royal blood to flow."
To recreate the circumstances of Henselt's assassination attempt, Victor handed Angoulême a weapon and ordered her to strike Stennis down. At the critical moment, Victor deflected the killing blow, leaving behind only a shallow cut.
This successfully produced a Novigrad Longsword bearing [Kingslayer: God-Favored Bloodline].
The experiment was a complete success.
Although this kind of trait had an extremely narrow range of applications, its creation was still worthy of serious attention. It demonstrated that certain "symbols," or perhaps "signifiers," possessed special importance in the formation of Void traits.
Perhaps in the witcher world, defeating special enemies through specific methods made powerful traits more likely to emerge.
"Having thought everything through, the alchemist revealed a lecherous smile and decided to perform a few more experiments on Prince Shit-ennis tomorrow. Once Philippa cured Saskia, he would have the Dragonslayer cooperate with his experiments as well!"
Victor blinked and glanced sideways at Angoulême.
She was holding a cup and sipping goat's milk, her eyes clear and her expression innocent, as though the words had nothing to do with her.
"Shut your mouth and stop talking nonsense. I suspect only ancient royal blood can trigger this type of trait. Otherwise, traits like this would have become commonplace long ago. We can test it on you right now, though. Perhaps we'll obtain Kingslayer: Narrator Bloodline."
The eager girl imagined the production process, hunched her shoulders, and immediately lost her enthusiasm.
No one enjoyed having a murder attempt simulated on them. It would be particularly unpleasant for Angoulême, whose Eagle Vision made her extremely sensitive to danger.
After casually suppressing Narrator Angoulême, Victor put away the Novigrad Longsword and took out the immortelle and Dragon's Dream, weighing them in his hands.
Dragon's Dream was a crystal, so Ore Voice worked on it. Immortelle was a plant, so he needed Plant Voice.
...
Several quiet minutes passed.
"Vic, you've changed..." Angoulême said softly, rubbing her fingers against the porcelain cup. "You weren't like this before."
"What do you mean, I've changed?"
"I mean what happened at Stennis's residence. In the past, you wouldn't have ordered Broghan's death so decisively. Killing him to make an example of him isn't your usual style. You should have hesitated and agonized over it more!"
The alchemist's hands paused slightly as he thought back over the incident.
"You're right. There were other ways to handle it. In the past, I wouldn't have chosen the fastest and bloodiest solution."
"Then why did you do it this time?"
"Serrit and Auckes are dead."
The porcelain cup fell from Angoulême's hand and shattered against the floor.
"What!? How... How could that happen...?"
"The night before last, they attempted to assassinate Henselt. They were killed by the court mages Dethmold and Síle de Tansarville respectively. I never even had an opportunity to stop it."
The girl's face turned pale. She fell silent, choking back her emotions as her eyes reddened.
She found it impossible to believe that the two witchers from the School of the Viper who had taught her everything they knew had suddenly died without warning.
On the morning they parted beside the Yaruga, she had not even managed to get out of bed and bid them a proper farewell.
Victor's voice remained calm.
"It's hard to believe, isn't it? I find it hard to believe too. They were simply gone without making so much as a ripple.
"In this damned world, no one knows when they will die or whose hand will kill them. Commoners, nobles, generals, mages, witchers, everyone is the same.
"My mood was terrible at the time. Looking back, restraining Broghan would probably have achieved the same purpose. He didn't necessarily have to die."
"Wait... Two of the three are dead. What about Letho? Did he die too?"
"No. He's heading toward Loc Muinne, the ancient elven city in the Blue Mountains, upriver along the Pontar.
"I don't know what Letho intends to do, but once this war is over, we'll go to Loc Muinne as well.
"Losing Serrit and Auckes taught me something. Unless someone possesses absolutely overwhelming power, no matter how remarkable they are, they can still die for some absurd reason.
"After losing them, I won't allow Letho to die as well.
"I agreed to cooperate with Geralt the day after tomorrow to dispel the spectral mist."
"So our enemies are Dethmold and Síle de Tansarville..."
"Yes. We'll find an opportunity to kill them in the future."
Angoulême nodded in agreement, then rested her chin on her hand and pretended to be deep in thought.
After some time, something suddenly occurred to her. She turned toward Victor.
"Since you've gathered all the ingredients, why haven't you taken them to Philippa? Don't you want Saskia to wake up?"
Listening to the confessions of the immortelle and Dragon's Dream, the alchemist replied indifferently.
"Together with the royal blood we just obtained, we do indeed have all the ingredients. However, I don't trust the sorceress. I have a subtle sense of unease, so I want to inspect everything before delivering it and see whether there might be any dangerous side effects."
"What!? You can hear Plant Voice now?"
"Yes. Those terrible events weren't entirely without benefit. I can hear Plant Voice now, though it's still nothing more than indistinct muttering. I'll need to spend time practicing before I can distinguish the words clearly."
"Congratulations, Commander. You're another step closer to becoming invincible. But what did you mean when you said you don't trust the sorceress?"
Victor yawned, organized his thoughts, and gave Angoulême a detailed account of everything he could reveal about what he had witnessed in the Kaedweni camp and his encounter with the spirits of the witchers from the School of the Viper.
"As I've already explained, we can be certain that Síle was the mastermind behind the kingslayers. Following the chain of their relationships, I suspect Philippa and Síle are working together.
"After all, aside from Nilfgaard, Philippa Eilhart was undoubtedly the person who benefited most from Demavend's death. If this new state is successfully established, she'll become its royal advisor, guaranteeing herself several more decades of political influence.
"That conclusion gives me an uneasy feeling.
"Logically, I don't believe Philippa would murder Saskia. There would be no reason for her to do so. Even so, it costs me nothing to use Plant Voice to inspect the ingredients beforehand, just to be safe."
The girl nodded in agreement with Victor's reasoning.
The alchemist continued, "As for the war, the Blue Stripes are continuing to carry out acts of sabotage inside the Kaedweni camp. Vernon Roche and his men hope to ruin Henselt's plans for the Pontar Valley.
"Once Saskia recovers, and with the elven army Iorveth is gathering, Vergen should be able to win this war."
"Hehehe, and what if we still lose?"
"Then we turn around and run. We'll have done everything we could."
Angoulême rubbed her cheek. She realized that Victor really had changed in certain ways.
From his separation from Geralt in Flotsam to the sudden deaths of the witchers from the School of the Viper, those experiences were genuinely shaking some of the virtues the commander had previously upheld, such as gentleness, compassion, and goodwill toward others.
Now, a small measure of ruthlessness, decisiveness, and willingness to use any means necessary had been mixed into them.
However, that was perfectly normal. Everything had gone smoothly for him before, so he had never needed to change his outlook.
...
At noon the following day, almost every influential figure in the rebellion had gathered in front of Saskia's residence.
Only Iorveth and Prince Stennis were absent. The former had gone east to gather troops, while the latter remained confined to his residence because he was suspected of poisoning Saskia.
"Madam Eilhart, these are all the ingredients you requested to treat Saskia. The rest is up to you."
In front of everyone, Victor handed Philippa the Dragon's Dream, immortelle, and royal blood.
After examining them carefully, the sorceress smiled.
"Well done. Let us begin."
Escorted by the elves, the group followed her into Saskia's room.
Those present included the dwarven officers Yarpen Zigrin and Zoltan Chivay, Vergen's elder Cecil Burdon, the Scoia'tael lieutenant Lansi aep Easnillen, the witcher Victor, and Angoulême.
The Dragonslayer's home was simply furnished, containing little besides armor and weapons. It fully displayed her uncomplicated nature and strict self-discipline.
Seeing Saskia again after several days, everyone stared at the Virgin's pale, frowning face. They clasped their hands before their chests, hoping the coming treatment would proceed smoothly.
Saskia had almost never removed her armor in the past. Even after they had grown familiar and Victor frequently visited her home to read, she had never disarmed in his presence.
This was therefore the first time Victor had seen her without armor.
Under the dim candlelight, she lay on the bed wearing a thin white shirt.
With the assistance of his superhuman eyesight, Victor could guarantee on his honor that the Virgin suffered from neither discoloration nor an overgrown garden.
There was something strange, however. Her peaks remained far too proudly upright. They had not flattened at all despite her lying on her back, and their astonishingly beautiful curves stood alone in peerless splendor.
Were it not for the limitations of this medieval world, Victor would almost have suspected that she had breast implants.
All things considered, combined with her naturally heroic beauty, this sleeping beauty was breathtakingly gorgeous.
Victor closely supervised Philippa throughout the treatment.
She first crushed the immortelle, refining and filtering it into a transparent azure potion before feeding it into Saskia's mouth.
A few drops of the azure potion fell onto the white shirt, causing the fabric to become faintly transparent.
Philippa then took out a large syringe, plunged it through one of Saskia's proud breasts, and injected the royal blood directly into the Dragonslayer's heart.
Even those merely watching could feel the tension of the moment.
Next, she placed one hand on the Dragon's Dream and began channeling magic.
Pale blue radiance rippled outward, enveloping the Virgin's entire body.
As Victor's talents gradually came into their own, he remained unable to cast true spells, but he had transformed the five standard Signs into many different derivative effects.
A powerful mage like Madam Eilhart had taught him a great deal simply through observation the last time. Naturally, Victor carefully recorded the flow of her magic throughout the entire procedure.
After some time, the magical radiance finally began to fade.
Philippa pressed her lips against a petal from the rose of remembrance, bent down, and kissed Saskia.
Wow!
This mysterious step was admittedly delightful to watch when performed by two beautiful women.
Victor was clearly not the only person who felt that way.
"What astonishing magic!" Yarpen commented with a solemn expression.
Zoltan clenched his fist and agreed.
"I like this kind of magic."
Good grief! Looking carefully, they were even using their tongues... That was going too far!
After more than half a minute, the kiss finally ended and Philippa straightened.
"Hah!"
Saskia released a long breath, opened her eyes, and abruptly sat upright in bed.
The spectacular sight of her bolting upright from what had seemed like her deathbed stunned everyone present, but the Virgin's gaze remained bewildered and uncertain.
The sorceress was naturally the calmest person in the room.
"Darling, you're safe. What is your name?"
The haze gradually cleared from Saskia's eyes.
"Sa... Saskia..."
"Yes, you are Saskia. Do you remember what happened?" Philippa continued.
The Dragonslayer held her head and slowly searched through her memories.
"Poison... Someone poisoned me... Damn it, what day is it? What happened in the battle? Where are Henselt and his army?"
Awakening from her daze, the beautiful, pure, and terrifyingly fierce symbol of rebellion had returned.
The Dragonslayer, the Virgin of Aedirn, was back.
Philippa spread her hands in a calming gesture.
"Calm yourself. The spectral mist has not yet dispersed, so your battle is only beginning. Look, your subordinates are all waiting for you. They will spread the news of your recovery throughout the entire city."
Saskia looked around. When she noticed Victor, who could not exactly be considered one of her subordinates, she blinked and smiled.
"Vic, do I owe you my life?"
"Not really. I only handled the errands. Philippa was the one who actually treated you."
After hearing his answer, Saskia jumped out of bed and embraced Victor beneath everyone's astonished gazes.
Firm, soft, and wonderfully fragrant.
With the exception of Angoulême, the witcher clearly heard everyone else inhale sharply at the intimate gesture, including Philippa Eilhart.
The temperature inside the cavern abruptly rose by five degrees.
The Dragonslayer stood tall and heroic.
"Thank you, Vic. I'll repay you. When are you planning to lift the curse on the spectral mist?"
"The day after tomorrow. I'll cooperate with Geralt of Rivia, a master witcher from the School of the Wolf, and enter the mist to break the curse."
"Then I'll visit you tonight when I have time. For now, I need to begin handling military affairs."
The good news quickly spread throughout the city.
Everyone soon knew that the Virgin of Aedirn, Saskia the Dragonslayer, had returned.
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