Wizard: This witcher is neglecting his duties.

Chapter 324 Defeat and Winning Over

Thanks to Wayne's manipulation, Vesemir met with the Countess again that afternoon.

The scene of the two former lovers meeting was quite touching, although there was no kissing or hugging as one might have imagined, nor any sweet words exchanged.

But even simple conversations like "You've come" and "I've been looking for you" gave Wayne a sense of the passage of time and the changing of the world.

Although he has not yet experienced the scene of his lover or friend being separated from him forever because of Zhao Hua's death, as a strong person who is bound to live a long time, he will definitely experience in the future that many familiar people will leave him forever due to the passage of time.

In fantasy works, the theory of lifespan has always been a powerful weapon. It is almost impossible for long-lived and short-lived species to have a happy love affair. They may fall in love because of a moment of passion, which seems beautiful and romantic, but the cruelty of reality often brings only tragedy.

Compared to ordinary humans, witchers, who live for more than three hundred years, can be considered a long-lived race.

Decades have passed, and Countess Minorle has transformed from a vibrant young woman into a middle-aged lady. Her feelings for Vesemir are no longer the impulsive infatuation she had decades ago; they are now more of a fond memory and fantasy of her youth.

Regardless of the outcome, after this meeting, both the old Witcher Vesemir and Countess Minoru will likely find a satisfactory resolution to their past relationship, without it becoming a regret.

After arranging the meeting, before he could even rest, Siana brought him the latest news, this time about Aden.

King Demavia was defeated, and the Blackcoats of Nilfgaard emerged victorious.

Although the capital fell and the army of Aden suffered a crushing defeat, the king was still very fortunate to escape.

With his remaining troops, he broke through the encirclement under cover of night and returned to the city he had occupied in the Kingdom of Cordwin.

Of course, this outcome was not only expected by Wayne, but almost everyone who knew the disparity in military strength between the two sides could have guessed it.

Although as witchers they don't need to care too much about current affairs, as long as there are all kinds of monsters in this world, no matter who is the emperor, they will always need witchers to help clean up the world.

However, as the head of the Witcher Order, he had to pay attention to the Civil War, a conflict that would affect the fate of countless people and the situation of the entire continent, whether by choice or by force.

After all, this matter will not only affect his future life, but also all aspects of the world.

Interestingly, unlike Emhyr in the original work, who was ambitious, arrogant, and always liked to make big moves, but actually didn't know much about military affairs, Emhyr is different.

This aristocratic usurper emperor was built up through military merits from the ranks of lower-ranking officers, eventually accumulating power and gaining the support of many, which enabled him to overthrow the Enris family, who had ruled Nilfgaard for generations.

He may have been less politically astute than Emhyr, the politician known for his "graveyard rave" reputation, and in the original story, he was defeated by Ciri's father and ultimately erased from the annals of history.

However, when it comes to leading troops and commanding wars, his abilities are several levels higher than Emhyr's.

It could even be said that it was precisely because the usurper emperor replaced Emhyr's father and became the emperor of Nilfgaard that the country was able to conquer surrounding kingdoms through war and continuous victories, becoming an extremely powerful empire.

After launching the North-South War, the usurper emperor did not, like Emhyr, directly send a large army to fight against the entire North. Instead, he confined his military forces within the Kingdom of Aden and steadily weakened Demavie's power in an attempt to completely control the country.

He even sent his own envoys half a month ago to find a somewhat plausible reason for his Black Army's sneak attack on the Kingdom of Aden, and to barely find an excuse for the fairness of this war.

This is an excellent method. If the usurper emperor, like Emhyr, had targeted the entire North from the very beginning of the Civil War, it would have inevitably aroused the united hatred of all the northern kingdoms, forcing them to face multiple enemies at once.

But now, Nilfgaard has merely ignited the war in the Kingdom of Aden and found a pretext for his war with Aden.

So whether out of wishful thinking or due to the various underhanded dealings among the northern kingdoms, it would be difficult for them to make up their minds to immediately raise an army and unite to fight against Nilfgaard.

Even the original plan to send reinforcements to support the Kingdom of Aden was hampered by Nilfgaard's countermeasures.

Without the support of other reinforcements, Demae's army was ultimately unable to withstand the Black Army of Nilfgaard. After holding out in Aden's capital for half a month, they were finally decimated and suffered heavy losses.

The entire war lasted less than two months, and a kingdom that had existed among the northern kingdoms for over a thousand years fell completely into the hands of Nilfgaard.

Although Demacia escaped by sheer luck, given his current strength, it is virtually impossible for him to organize an army and reclaim his kingdom.

According to the latest news from Sylvanas, after conquering the Kingdom of Aden, Nilfgaard temporarily halted its advance and did not take any further military action. Instead, it began to purge the resistance forces within the Kingdom of Aden.

Whether it was the old nobles of the Kingdom of Aden, the defeated deserters, or the residents who resisted Nilfgaardian rule, they all became targets of the Black Army's purge.

Under the control of tens of thousands of Nilfgaardian soldiers, whether through purging, incorporation, or capture and enslavement, King Demavie and his original royal family's influence were rapidly diminishing at an alarming rate.

It is believed that within a few years, the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Aden will completely forget Demavi and become a vassal of Nilfgaard.

This was certainly a very dangerous signal for the other northern kingdoms. Given their strength, they were simply unable to fight against the Kingdom of Nilfgaard on their own. The huge military disparity terrified many insightful and wise northerners, who immediately began to secretly connect with each other and discuss ways to jointly fight against Nilfgaard.

Wayne had initially been observing the situation, wanting to see how the Warlock Brotherhood would handle it.

However, before the kings of the north and those high-ranking spellcasters could react, trouble came upon the Witcher Order.

………………

In the main hall of the Witcher's castle, Wayne sat on the magnificent throne, one hand supporting his chin, the other gently tapping on the armrest.

His brow furrowed slightly as he looked at Francesca, who sat below him with a similarly somber expression, and asked in a questioning tone:

"You mean Nilfgaard sent warlocks to the Valley of Flowers, to the elves, wanting to discuss cooperation with you, right?"

"They are willing to support the independence of Hundred Flowers Valley, to establish an elven kingdom, and to support you in becoming the Queen of the Elves."

"And the condition is that you weaken the North's ability to leave the country by inciting non-human races and creating unrest throughout the North?"

(End of this chapter)