Wizard: This witcher is neglecting his duties.

Chapter 186 The Ancient Unexpected Rate (Thanks to the generous donation from the user "乾坤日夜唯我万界托尼")

The Skelliges believe in commitment, courage, and honor; for these rough men living on the islands, honor is more important than life itself.

Faced with questioning from her closest ally, King East, Queen Calanthe showed her vulnerability for the first time; her face flushed, her lips trembled, and tears welled in her eyes.

Queen Calanthe's emotional outburst immediately caused a commotion among the guests. They searched for weapons, some grabbing chairs, others metal plates, and still others candle holders. They shouted that they would wash away their humiliation with blood, all glaring angrily at Uchion in the center of the banquet hall.

These nobles and vassals, belonging to Sintra's vassal states and Sintra itself, certainly did not want to see the Sintra princess marry a strange man of unknown origin, allowing a mysterious person to seize the throne they had long coveted.

King Ister, however, took the lead in stopping the guests from causing chaos, insisting on waiting until Queen Calanthe and Uchion had explained the situation clearly.

Just then, Baron Ellenbert, nicknamed "Gigolota," suddenly stood up and said loudly:

"I know many people have their own opinions on this matter, but gentlemen, we are in the Royal Palace of Sintra, and we should maintain the most basic etiquette."

"Therefore, Queen Calanthe, please allow me to express my opinion."

Upon hearing this, Queen Calanthe turned her gaze to Baron Kokota and said slowly:

"You all have your own opinions, but as the person most qualified to speak on this matter, no one has ever asked for my opinion."

"I would never give my daughter to this weirdo."

Uchion also became anxious, and he shouted loudly:

"But King Rogner's oath..."

However, before he could finish speaking, Queen Calanthe slammed her golden cup on the table, interrupting him.

The Queen sighed softly, turning her gaze back to Baron Kokota, this friend of the royal family, and said:

"Speak, Baron, but you'd better keep it short."

Baron Kokota bowed to the Queen, then nodded slightly to the guests, before speaking loudly:

"Indeed, a strange person made a bizarre request, but in the face of the ancient law of surprise, we cannot pretend we haven't heard of it."

"According to the law of the unexpected, a person who saves others does indeed have the right to make all sorts of strange requests."

Sometimes it might be giving me the first thing you receive to welcome you, and sometimes it might be giving me something that you never expected to appear in your house.

"And such a thing is often a child, a child chosen by fate."

Queen Calanthe frowned, tapped the table, and said:

"To make a long story short, Baron."

Baron Kokota bowed slightly again and addressed the guests:

"Gentlemen, the ancient law of chance is not false. Many legendary heroes of antiquity were chosen as children of destiny in this way. On the other hand, many others broke their vows and were punished by fate, suffering tragic ends."

"The famous Queen Zevelena became Queen of Mettina with the help of a dwarf, but she was unwilling to give her child to the dwarf, so she used magic to drive him away."

"And soon after, both the queen and her children died of the plague."

"See, under the witness of the gods, no matter how noble one's status, no one can escape unscathed after playing tricks on fate."

Faced with such a viewpoint, Queen Calanthe's expression grew even more unpleasant. In fact, there are countless examples of this throughout history. Many people do not believe in fate, but fate does exist, and it is precisely because of this that people are so afraid of fate.

"Sit down, Baron. Let's not repeat legends like this."

However, Baron Kokota did not sit down, but instead gave a slight bow to the Queen.

"Your Majesty, please allow me to continue."

"In ancient legends, human kings kept their promises, and we vassals were therefore loyal to them. All our privileges came from our promises to the people."

"But now, are we going to question these promises?"

Queen Calanthe was speechless at Baron Kokota's words. She remained silent for a few seconds, as if making a great decision, before slowly saying:

"My lords, you deserve a reasonable explanation."

"What Uchion said is true; my foolish husband made such a foolish promise."

"But the Baron's words reminded me that I am not only a mother, but also a monarch. I will discuss the feasibility of this matter at the Council of Nobles tomorrow."

"And to the esteemed knights present here, I can only express my deepest apologies for the ridicule you have suffered."

The guests immediately erupted in uproar upon hearing this, while King East sighed deeply and said:

"Kalanzer, you're openly encouraging bloodshed."

The queen's statement immediately gave the knights present a reason to fight. They began to look for various weapons and shouted that they wanted to have a knightly duel with Uchion because they felt humiliated.

As for whether Uchion is still alive after the duel, that depends on his skill.

As the situation grew increasingly chaotic, and Uchion was about to be surrounded and attacked, Geralt finally reacted. He stood up first, slammed his chair down, and shouted to the crowd:

"Perhaps there is no need to convene a council of nobles at all."

Upon hearing Geralt's loud speech, everyone present stared at him in astonishment, wondering what he meant.

Seeing Geralt's stance, Wayne was no longer just a spectator. He noticed that as the situation on the field became more tense, Princess Pavetta behind him was completely on edge, seemingly on the verge of exploding.

As a natural-born Source Mage, the princess possesses a hidden magical power far exceeding that of this self-taught Witcher. Moreover, this young woman is currently in the throes of love and pregnant with Uchion's child. It's likely that anyone who tries to harm the Hedgehog Man will face a terrifying attack from a Source Mage at full power.

Geralt paused for a few seconds, then looked at Ugion and said:

"I said there was absolutely no need to convene a council of nobles, you know what I mean, Uchion?"

Seeing that everyone's eyes were on him, Uchion took a step forward and said loudly to Geralt:

"I just heard what the Queen said; she has found a perfect way to get rid of me."

"Alright, I accept your challenge, unknown knight."

Geralt, realizing that Uchion had misunderstood him, shook his head and calmly said:

"I'm not here to challenge you, but to make you prove something."

Queen Calanthe instantly understood Geralt's intention. She no longer cared to call him Lavix and shouted at the Witcher:

"Geralt, sit down. Don't test my patience."

However, Geralt ignored Queen Calanthe and looked at Uchion, saying:

"You must prove that there is indeed a destiny-bound connection between you and Princess Paveta."

"The ancient law of accident stipulates that only the child's permission can prove whether an oath is valid."

"Only then can we prove that you are indeed bound together by fate."

The nobles among the guests, seeing that Geralt was actually trying to speak up for Ugion, immediately shouted:

"Who are you?"

"Who do you think you are, daring to spout nonsense before the ancient law of surprise?"

Faced with such questioning, the Grand Druid Mossak, who had remained silent until now, finally broke his silence. He stepped out of the crowd and loudly proclaimed:

"He is Geralt of Rivia, the White Wolf. He is also a child of chance, and it is fate that has made him who he is today."

Mossack held a high position in the Skellige Isles and was recognized as a friend of the royal family by Cintra. Faced with this Archdruid's words, many dared not be too presumptuous, but some still asked with doubt:

"The Child of Accident, what does he do?"

Upon hearing this, the Archdruid paused for a second, then spoke loudly:

"He is a witcher."

In an instant, the arena fell silent. Indeed, as Witchers born of chance, they were more qualified than anyone else to talk about the Law of Accident, because this ancient law was sacred in the hearts of every Witcher. It was the most common method used by the older generation of Witchers to select new Witchers, and as it turned out, the survival rate of Witcher born of chance in Witcher experiments was indeed the highest.

Just as everyone fell silent, the clock suddenly struck midnight.

Wayne noticed that the unfamiliar magic surrounding Princess Pavita, Uchion, and everyone else present had become even thicker.

Upon hearing the midnight bells, Queen Calanthe, as if receiving a signal, suddenly spoke to Uchion:

"Alright, it's time to keep your promise, but before that, you should also keep your word and take off your mask."

However, Uchion did not take any action; he just stood there blankly, as if in a daze.

Wayne knew that the bell tolling earlier was just a trick played by Queen Calanthe to force Uchion to reveal his true form as a hedgehog before midnight.

Thinking of this, Wayne looked at Geralt and saw that Geralt was already tense all over, as if he was ready to make a move at any moment. When Wayne looked at him, Geralt nodded expressionlessly.

The task of this master-level mission is to assist Geralt in ensuring that the banquet proceeds as he envisions. Wayne has no hesitation in doing so, since he will proactively approach Princess Pavetta or Queen Calanthe after the banquet to tell them about the hedgehog man's lies.

By then, Geralt and Ciri's fates would be intertwined, and the fate of the hedgehog man—whether to kill him or punish him—would be up to Queen Calanthe and Princess Pavetta to decide.

After a brief standoff, Uzzion removed his mask, revealing a comical, hedgehog-like appearance that immediately drew laughter from the guests. Queen Calanthe, meanwhile, wore a triumphant and cruel smile.

However, Uzzion remained calm and said to the Queen:

"When King Rogner told you about his promise, he must have described what I looked like."

"It seems you've really gone to great lengths to deal with me."

"Not only did they incite the knights present to attack me, they even brought in a witcher."

"In the end, you even resorted to such childish tricks to humiliate me, but you should know that you are humiliating yourself in doing so."

Queen Calanthe was enraged by Uchion's mockery, and she roared:

"That's enough, let's settle this once and for all."

As she spoke, the Queen looked at her daughter sitting beside her and asked loudly:

"Pavita, now you should know what kind of monster this guy who wants you is."

"According to the ancient tradition of the law of surprise, the choice is now yours."

"If you answer yes, you will become this monster's spoils; if you answer no, you will never have to see this hideous monster again."

Upon hearing Queen Calanthe's question, everyone present turned their gaze to Princess Paveta, whose face was pale and whose emotions were in turmoil.

Perhaps these ordinary people couldn't feel anything, but Wayne, Geralt, and Archdruid Mossack, who were present, could clearly feel that the magic in the entire hall had become exceptionally heavy, as if it were a shackle that was pressing down on the three of them, making it hard for them to breathe.

Wayne sighed inwardly. If Princess Pavita had been forced, that would be one thing, but the princess was now wholeheartedly devoted to her beloved, and she was pregnant with the hedgehog man's child.

Just then, Wayne and Geralt both heard the voice of the Archdruid Mossak, the old druid speaking in a hoarse voice:

"Be careful not to let Queen Calanther break the Law of Accidents; this is for her and Pavita's sake."

Upon hearing this, Wayne turned to look at Geralt. Geralt's face was also pale from the pressure of magic, but he still nodded firmly to Wayne, acknowledging the old druid's approach.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Princess Paveta, her face somewhat pale, suddenly raised her head, looked affectionately at Uchion, who resembled a hedgehog, and spoke:

"I do."

In an instant, the entire banquet hall fell silent. A vast amount of magic began to gather around the princess. The pressure on Wayne, Geralt, and Mossack was relieved, but their expressions became even more solemn as they looked at Princess Pavetta with great surprise.

Wayne was astonished by this situation. This was the first time he had experienced the power of an indigenous sorcerer. Princess Pavita was just an ordinary person who had never learned any magic, yet she was able to gather such powerful magic by simply relying on instinct. She truly deserved to be the possessor of the ancient blood.

Upon hearing the princess's reply, Queen Calanthe slowly slumped back onto her throne, her face expressionless.

Upon receiving the princess's reply, Uchion, like a criminal whose name had been cleared, mocked the crowd:

"Everyone has heard that. My rights have been confirmed. Now, what means do you have to stop me?"

"A hidden blade, or more witchers?"

"I hope to take Pavita with me now, and of course, I wouldn't mind having some fun."

"For example, let the esteemed Queen Calanthe lead her daughter to me and place her white hand in mine."

Upon hearing the hedgehog man's provocative remarks, Wayne instantly realized what it meant to court death.

Sure enough, the hedgehog man's remarks immediately caused a commotion among the previously calm guests.

Kratz, the sea boar, was known for his fiery temper, and he roared:

"What kind of bullshit is this?"

Then the first one couldn't resist, picked up a small knife from the table, and prepared to teach Uchion a lesson.

A knight named Lin Faen also took up his weapon and charged towards Uchion.

Queen Calanthe could no longer contain herself. She shouted, "Guards!" and the entire banquet hall erupted into chaos.

Seeing this, Wayne didn't want to wait any longer. He rushed to Uchion at lightning speed and punched him in the face before the Sea Boar and Linfaen could react.

In any case, the mission was only to save the life of the hedgehog man, so that Princess Pavetta and Queen Calanthe would not suffer the backlash of fate. As for whether the hedgehog man was injured, that was a trivial matter.

Moreover, opportunities to thoroughly defeat the future emperor of the South like this are rare.

Wayne's punch, neither too light nor too heavy, landed squarely on the hedgehog man's cheek, interrupting his arrogant remarks and causing him to stagger and spit out a few teeth, all under the hedgehog man's astonished gaze.

King Ister was well aware of the importance of the Law of Unexpectedness. This strong man showed no mercy, punching his nephew Kratz in the face, causing him to stagger and fall onto the banquet table. Meanwhile, the bagpiper took the opportunity to smash his bagpipe against Kratz's back, shattering it to pieces.

When the weapon-wielding knight Lynfaen charged toward Uchion with a ferocious expression, he was struck directly in the chest of his armor by Wayne's Alder sign, sending the knight rolling four or five meters on the ground before crashing into the wall of the throne room.

Just then, following the Queen's orders, a large contingent of guards rushed into the banquet hall.

Queen Kalanzer, no longer possessing her former beauty and confidence, pointed at Uchion and shouted hysterically:

"Guards, kill that monster quickly!"

Upon receiving the Queen's order, the fully armed guards swarmed towards Uchion, who was stunned by Wayne's attack.

(End of this chapter)