The Witcher World: The Path to Domination Begins in Velen

Chapter 100 Erwin's Analysis and Operation Bullburger

The Seagull slowly sailed away from the port of Novigrad, the purple lion flag on the mast flapping loudly in the wind. The walls of Novigrad receded smaller and smaller towards the stern, the dense roofs and towers eventually disappearing where the sea met the sky.

Inside the cabin, Erwin sat on a bench, his quill pen hovering in mid-air, his mouth agape, unable to close for a long time.

"So...we're going to assassinate Radovide?" His voice was a little dry.

"Then, he pushed Dikowski into control of Redania, and then, in the name of the Grand Duke of Temeria, rallied the Temeria resistance forces to directly wage war against Nilfgaard?"

He placed the quill on the table and pressed his hands to his temples. "Ron, wait, let me sort out my thoughts. My mind is a bit of a mess right now."

The sound of waves crashing against the hull came from outside the cabin. Erwin closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. When he opened them again, the panic in his eyes had disappeared, replaced by a suppressed excitement.

"I originally thought our military was expanding fast enough, and I was even worried that expanding too quickly would make our foundation unstable."

He stood up and walked to the map hanging on the bulkhead.

"But that idea has disappeared now. It's too slow. The water-powered forging hammer hasn't been upgraded yet, and the expansion plan for the three thousand standing troops hasn't been completed."

"After I return, I will immediately begin to expand the recruitment scope at Carard Estate, Reardon Estate, and Raven's Nest. I will recruit veterans with battlefield experience by increasing their treatment. At the same time, the repair and expansion of military defense facilities must be accelerated. If your plan goes smoothly, we don't have much time left to develop. At this point, we can't worry about costs. Once war breaks out, we may not have the chance to slowly repair them."

Ron walked to the map hanging in the cabin and pointed to the location of the West Coast of Wellen.

"There's also the issue of the naval fleet, Elwin. Look closely, Velen's capital, Goth Velen, is currently controlled by the neutral nation of Hidalis, but it's also an important maritime transit point for Nilfgaard."

Their fleet transported supplies directly down the Embraer River to the central military camp on the Velen front, then headed east towards Vizima. This city had to be captured first after the start of the war to immediately cut off Nilfgaard's sea supply lines.

His finger traced the path to Goth Velen. "Callad Manor and Goth Velen, located to the south and north respectively, perfectly block the mouth of the Embraer River. By controlling these two points, we can cut off all the flow of goods from the sea to the heart of Velen."

Elwin leaned closer to the map, his brow furrowing. "But in that case, Nilfgaard's offensive focus will inevitably shift to these two directions. Of course, due to the swamps and woodlands near the manor, it will be difficult for large-scale legions to deploy."

But holding Goth Velen will not be easy. It is not far from Vizima, and there are country roads leading to the city through Anchorage, Dorian, Turbid Water, and White Orchard. Once Nilfgaard sends troops north from Vizima, the march will take no more than ten days, and it is unknown whether our forces are sufficient.”

"So convincing Hidaris is an important issue," Ron said, his fingers slowly sliding along the coastline.

"But this matter is not easy for me to handle from my current position. Perhaps I can first send Hans to establish contact with Hidalis, and then send a formal envoy to form an alliance after I obtain the title of Grand Duke of Temuria. Hans is a Hidalis, so he can bypass diplomatic channels and establish initial contact first."

Erwin adjusted his glasses and pondered for a moment. "I have some recollection of the King of Hidalis. Aethein was a monarch skilled at maintaining a balance of power. He had allied with neighboring countries such as Temeria. In 1250, local warlords in Hidalis rebelled, and the former King of Temeria, Foltest, offered him assistance. The Bloody Baron once mentioned that he went to Hidalis to quell the rebellion when he was young, referring to this battle. In 1267, during the Second Civil War, Aethein dispatched the Hidalis fleet to defend the eastern coast, aiming to contain the Nilfgaardian Empire and prevent it from flanking the northern coalition."

"But now that Temeria has fallen, Aethel can only bow to Nilfgaard to protect itself. If we can persuade him to stand on our side, we can completely cut off Nilfgaard's sea supply. The Hidalis fleet is known as the strongest in the north, capable of effectively patrolling the vast eastern coastline and blockading Nilfgaard's ports in wartime. But as you said, it would be difficult to persuade him to abandon neutrality and participate in the war, given his status as a warlord of Velen. I will arrange for suitable people to establish commercial trade and relationship networks in Hidalis City to prepare for the subsequent negotiations."

Ron nodded and pulled a roll of parchment from his pocket.

"Regarding the next matter, the operation at Cowburg, the people we need to rescue are Margarita Laux Antillie, one of the founders of the Sorcerer's Guild, the headmistress of Aretusa Academy, and her students."

"Margarita?" Erwin's eyebrows shot up. "She's been captured too. She's a heavyweight, Ron. If we're going to build our own warlock force and advisory group in the future, she'll be indispensable."

She is one of the most experienced warlock mentors in the entire North, having trained an entire generation of sorceresses. With sufficient warlock assistance, our key facilities, such as the waterworks, can be upgraded much faster. Many extremely time-consuming projects are simply a matter of a wave of the hand for the warlocks.

"I know." Ron unfolded the architectural plans of the witch hunter's prison and lightly tapped the location of the secret passage. "Erwin, did you notice this place when you were teaching at Cowhill? Do you know anything about the secret passages of the elven ruins?"

Erwin bent down to examine the blueprints, staring at the secret route for a long time, before straightening up.

"I know this place and have heard a little about the ruins. Part of the academy's underground is connected to the elven ruins. I have a colleague who does archaeology. He applied to explore that area, but the school refused because the underground structure is unstable."

Another problem is that Cowburg is a city near water, and its underground structures are prone to water seepage, not to mention the elven ruins that have been abandoned for who knows how many years. If you want to lead your soldiers to swim in, you'll have to abandon your armor and heavy equipment, which will make fighting inside a major problem.

Ron was silent for a while, his gaze lingering on the drawings, before finally rolling up the parchment.

"There's no other way then. It seems we have no choice but to lead a direct assault and finish this quickly. Erwin, once we reach Bullhold, send intelligence agents to scout out the defenses: shift changes, the number of guards at each watchtower, patrol routes—the more detailed the better. After the operation, prepare to provide backup and return directly to the manor. I don't think Dixter will mind this unexpected situation..."

'

When the Seagull entered the port of Niubao, there were already more pedestrians on the streets. The outline of the city stretched up from the dock, with dense wooden houses and shops below, and the roof tiles gleaming dark red in the morning mist.

Erwin stood at the bow of the ship, gazing in the direction of the city gate, and said in a low voice, "There are at least twice as many guards as when I last came. I guess it's because of the incident with Borsodi."

Ron walked over to him, his gaze sweeping over the sentries patrolling the wall. "Then tell the intelligence agents to be careful. We'll go into town and wait for news."

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