The Witcher: Make Witcher Great Again

Chapter 412 Rules are meant to be broken

"Your Highness, this way please."

Upon hearing this voice, the prisoners in the front row turned to look.

But then they saw a young man walking over, accompanied by the warden.

The prisoners couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

"Your Excellency, is that young man Your Excellency?"

"What's wrong with his eyes? They look like a cat's."

"That's a Witcher."

“I know who he is now. The Witcher was behind the fall of the gates of Lakverein.”

"I've heard that witchers are not well-liked by kings and nobles. How could Istrald bestow the title of Grand Duke upon a witcher?"

The prisoners below were buzzing with discussion, which made the warden's scalp tingle.

You should know that this dark-haired young man is currently the most sought-after celebrity in Cowell and Bovis.

If we anger this man...

The warden dared not think any further.

"Quiet! Shut up, all of you! You bunch of scum!"

The warden cautiously glanced at Lynn's face.

Fortunately, this gentleman didn't react much.

"Your Highness, please."

"Ah."

Lynn nodded, then walked to the high platform that the jailers had prepared.

Looking at the crowd below the stage and under the gaze of many, Lynn spoke eloquently.

"Some of you may know me, and some may not. That's okay. Let's start with an introduction."

“I am Grand Duke Lynn Augustus, and the lord you will serve.”

The crowd was in an uproar.

The jailers couldn't help but tense up.

Despite the chaotic crowd, Lynn remained completely calm.

He was still smiling, and then...

A fan-shaped flame, like an angry dragon, burst forth from his palm and shot into the sky.

The air was scorched and distorted, emitting an unsettling hissing sound.

Although the flames did not reach the crowd, everyone standing in the open space felt the terrifying heat.

If the witcher had aimed at them instead of the sky, they would likely have been burned to ashes.

The crowd was instantly stunned, and the riot stopped.

"I don't like being interrupted before I've finished speaking, and I hope you can remember that."

Lynn paused deliberately at this point.

Seeing that there were no objections from the audience, he continued speaking.

"Next, let's talk about the situation you're currently facing:"

“I know you’re not ordinary criminals, you’re mercenaries. You just chose the wrong side, which is why you’re left here, ignored by everyone.”

“I know that this is not entirely your fault, so I will give you an offer you cannot refuse—serve me, swear allegiance to me, and fight in my name.”

"Although I am strict with my subordinates, I am never stingy. Those who are loyal, perform outstandingly, and fight bravely will undoubtedly be rewarded by me, and may even be granted land and become knights."

When Lynn finished speaking, he paused again, giving the prisoners below the stage time to receive and process the information.

This time, the crowd finally reacted.

However, it was much smaller than the previous riots.

"Perhaps some of you will think I'm making empty promises, but you have no choice but to believe me."

“If you are unwilling, then I will never force you. You can continue to stay in this prison and slowly rot away.”

"Now, you can make your choice."

At that moment, Julia, who was standing in the crowd, suddenly raised her hand.

"Your Highness, may I ask a question?"

Lynn noticed the woman and nodded. "Give me your name."

Julia Ebatmark.

The warden standing next to Lynn whispered, "She is one of the four commanders of the Mischievous Cats."

Julia Ebatmark, the Mischievous Cat...

With these two key pieces of information, Lynn remembered.

In the original novel, she and the other three commanders of the Mischievous Cat were pardoned by Istrad and then sent to Temuria to participate in the decisive battle of the Second Northern War.

The fact that she was able to become a commander in the mercenary profession, where strength is the only measure of success, already shows that this woman is not just a pretty face, but a rose with thorns.

"Sure, go ahead and bring it."

Julia bowed.

"Your Highness, I would like to know, if we fight for you, will we receive the salary and status of ordinary soldiers, or will you treat us like slave soldiers?"

The warden was horrified: "You vile woman, what nonsense are you spouting?! Guards, drag this woman away!"

Is this woman insane? How dare she say such things to the Grand Duke?

But Lynn raised his hand to stop the jailers.

He looked Julia into the eyes and spoke to them slowly but firmly in a voice loud enough for everyone present to hear.

“You are not slaves, but still fighting for me as mercenaries. I will give you the highest level of treatment and salary among mercenaries.”

"At the same time, as I just said, I will promote my most loyal and valiant people to knighthood, and even barony... Do you understand what I'm saying? Do you all understand?"

Julia pushed through the crowd, walked up to Lynn, and knelt down on one knee under the tense gazes of the jailers.

"Understood. I, Julia Ebatmark, am willing to wield this sword for His Highness the Grand Duke."

Seeing that the commander had knelt down, those who were originally Julia's subordinates also knelt down one after another.

Then everyone else knelt down as well.

In the end, only a handful remained standing.

Lynn was very satisfied and immediately took them out of the prison.

Take them outside the city to the military camp that was built during the siege and has not yet been dismantled.

The emblem on the flags flying in the military camp was a jet-black, golden double-headed eagle that no one had ever seen before.

And this is the family crest that Lynn came up with.

Augustus is his family name, and the black and gold double-headed eagle is his family crest.

Don't Westerners always like to bring up noble and prestigious families?
Anyway, he also has black hair, and black hair is a symbol of nobility in the West.

The Mischievous Cats... now they should be called the former Mischievous Cats soldiers. After entering the camp, Lynn spent a little time rearming them.

Lynn let them decide among themselves who would be the captain. Julia Ebatmark would remain as commander.

Actually, the Mischievous Cats originally had four commanders, but Lynn did not bail out the other three.

Because Julia alone is enough.

Lynn gave them a week to readjust to their military service.

Then, with his three thousand soldiers, Lynn left Lakverein and headed east.

……

Because they knew that a mere Grand Duke title was not enough to rule Isparden.

So these three thousand soldiers were actually a force that Istrad gave to Lynn.

Not only did he provide people, but Istrad also provided Lynn with a huge amount of money and material assistance.

This is enough to ensure that Lynn will not have to worry about the salaries and food rations of these three thousand people for the next three years.

This prompted Lynn to praise the boss's generosity.

No wonder the nobles of Kowell and Bovis have a different style from the nobles of other countries.

Working under a boss like that, it's hard not to improve.

With Istrad's help, Lynn had no worries about the future.

The three thousand-strong army passed directly through the Prince of Targos.

However, on the very night the army stopped at the border of the Margraviate of Targos, an owl flew into Lynn's tent.

“Philippa Ehrert, what a rare guest.”

How did you know it would be me?

A flash of white light, and the owl transformed into the sorceress's appearance.

"Of course I didn't know, I was just saying it offhand, but it really is you."

In the original storyline, Philippa liked to turn into an owl and fly around whenever she had free time, which is why Lynn instinctively blurted out when she saw the owl flying into her tent.

What he didn't expect was that the owl was actually Philippa in disguise.

Lynn's face remained expressionless, but he was secretly on guard.

If we were to ask which sorceress in the world of Witcher he would keep his distance from the most, it would undoubtedly be the one standing before him now.

If Francesca's deal with the Nilfgaardian Empire was for the sake of the Valley of Flowers, at least it could be loosely explained as "a necessary sacrifice"...

Philippa Ehrert is a classic example of someone who will die if she doesn't court death.

During the Thanedid Incident following the end of the First Northern War, she commissioned an elven assassin to kill the King of Vizmir.

Later, when Dijkstra, the head of intelligence in Redania, learned of the assassination of the King of Vizmir and planned to investigate further, she sent assassins to kill Dijkstra (who of course escaped).

After the Warlock Brotherhood fell apart, she established the Warlocks' Guild, attempting to create a nation ruled by warlocks.

The result was the deaths of the two northern kings, which disrupted the balance between the north and south. Temeria and its vassal states, Lyria and Livia, Aden and a series of other northern countries were occupied by the Nilfgaardian Empire.

This directly led to the most dangerous time for the north...

Philippa herself wasn't much better off.

The sorceresses' Guild was disgraced for their assassination of the northern kings, and she was captured by Vizmir's son's men and had her eyes gouged out.

After experiencing a series of events, by the time of The Witcher 3, Philippa even wanted to replace Yennefer in the Nilfgaardian court and become Emhyr Emreis's royal advisor.

Tell me, how is this woman's brain structured?

Any normal person could guess that the Nilfgaardian emperor would never allow such an ambitious woman to stay in his court.

In response to Philippa's question, Lynn replied evasively, "Ms. Philippa, what's the matter so late?"

"It's nothing serious. I just wanted to see what the first Witcher in history who defied ancestral teachings looks like."

Philippa said sarcastically, "I'm really curious what your predecessors as Witchers would think if they knew that a junior would openly violate the Witcher's code."

This woman is definitely not someone to be trifled with.

Lynn didn't even lift an eyelid before retorting.

"The Witcher Code is written by humans. Since it can be established, it can also be broken. How to do it specifically depends on different circumstances and different judgments."

"Only the most foolish people cling to outdated ideas and are rigid and pedantic."

Philippa wasn't angry.

"Since the creation of the Witcher, no Witcher has ever been a guest of honor of a nobleman, let alone an equal. Aren't you afraid that His Majesty Istrad or his vassals will become wary of you?"

Lynn's pupils contracted slightly.

This woman must have gone to Istrad first to sow discord.

After realizing they couldn't control the situation, they came back to me to continue stirring things up.

“Ms. Philippa, if I were you, I wouldn’t make enemies everywhere.”

Philippa smiled.

"Thank you for your advice, but I don't think I've stooped to the point of considering Witchers as enemies."

The implication is that she doesn't care about Lynn's revenge at all.

Lynn smiled too.

"Really? Then who do you consider an enemy? It can't be the King of Vizmir, can it?"

Philippa was startled.

Suddenly I had a bad feeling.

"Have you lost your mind from drinking those potions, Witcher? I am a court advisor to Redania, and King Vizmir is my lord. How could I possibly harm him?"

"Don't you want to go further? Redania is the strongest nation in the north in terms of overall power. Don't you want to become the queen of this country?"

Philippa's eyes gradually turned dangerous: "You...it seems I have no choice but to kill you."

"If you can do it, you can give it a try."

Lynn crossed his arms over his chest, a relaxed expression on his face.

But to Philippa, that expression seemed to be mocking her.

'I will make you pay the price for your arrogance.'

Just as Philippa decided to cast an instant spell, she suddenly realized that her connection with the Chaos Magic had been severed at some point.

At this moment, she could not sense any chaotic magic power at all, and naturally could no longer cast the magic she usually handled with ease.

At this moment, Philippa looked at Lynn with shock in her eyes.

"What did you do to me? Did you plant a large amount of magic-resistant gold in the tent?"

The sorceress's eyes began to dart around.

But the tent was simply furnished, with no place to hide anything.

Furthermore, if it were magic-blocking gold, she should have felt the resistance of chaotic magic power and found it difficult to mobilize when she entered the tent.

In other words, the witcher in front of them possesses some kind of forbidden magic... uh, magic.

The question is, does such magic even exist? And even if it does, how do witchers master it?
Philippa's expression changed several times, but she finally dared not underestimate Lynn and straightened her posture.

"It seems I underestimated you, Witcher. Since we both have our weaknesses, perhaps we can try other options besides killing each other... such as cooperation."

(End of this chapter)