Witcher's Atelier

More than 20 hours ago, I faced hundreds of mobs armed with knives or pitchforks in Lundulin Square.

"Fergen is not a cesspit for people to poop casually. This place has the rule of law, and Scullen Burden's duty is to maintain this rule of law." Geralt spoke calmly.

A nobleman wearing armor also stood up, "Is there any law in the world that allows serfs to threaten the king? I, Sigri, Selchik's brother, the strongest knight in Aedirn, I say no!"

Bai Lang glanced at the guy next to him who was adding fuel to the fire. He may not be good at talking, but at least he is very courageous. You must know that the security team led by Skallen only has more than thirty people, which is dozens of times smaller than the mob that surrounded Prince Stennis's residence and watched eagerly.

"What is the difference between being born in a castle and being born in a pigsty?" Geralt raised his voice, "Any fool can judge and decide. Don't forget that it is much easier to 'accuse' a crime than to 'prove' a crime."

Sigri. Selchik: "Gentlemen, you are gathered here because a common slave claimed that Prince Stennis might have murdered Saskia. Think about it! Why did the prince do such a despicable thing! Don't forget that he was of noble birth. The royal family!”

"That's why! That bastard wanted the crown too much! So he went crazy!" shouted Kaltan, the representative of the people.

After all, Sigri was the younger brother of Selchik, the commander of the Second War in Upper Aedirn. With his brother's reputation, even the most radical civilians were willing to give him time to speak.

"Did you forget that he bravely stood by Saskia when negotiating with Henselt?!"

"He is a cunning fox. He pretends to identify with Saskia and wants to deceive us common people! But we common people are not as stupid as you nobles think!"

"Your mouth is full of stinking feces. You choose to hate the prince like a poisonous snake spitting venom and trying to make up stories and accusations to slander him."

"You're not making it up! That's what Saskia's servant said."

"Then may I ask where that servant is? If he has something to say, why is he hiding like a thief?

The reason for hiding is simple, he is a liar! "

"No! He hid just to avoid you. Nobles are bastards! He was afraid that you would murder him, so he had to hide in the Scoia'tael camp for protection!"

"Then let me change the question. How does the prince poison Saskia? Everyone knows that before the saint's lips touch the wine, the servant will taste it from the barrel first!"

When the civilians were speechless for a moment, the white-haired witcher began to explain the conclusion of his investigation, "There is no need to poison the wine, it is enough to put poison in the wine glass."

"I've never heard of poisoning a wine glass," retorted Sigre of Guleta.

"That's because you don't know enough. There was an emperor in Aedirn who died from tasting mutton. He was always afraid of being poisoned, so he insisted on eating with the chef.

Finally, the murderer applied poison to one side of the knife so that when cutting the meat, only a small piece of meat would be poisoned. "

"The witcher is right! Hand over Stennis!" The people roared.

The noble quickly interrupted loudly, "Wait... Saskia has his own special cup!"

"It was specially ordered by the dwarves, with special carvings on it." Geralt explained calmly.

Sigri retorted again: "Even so, can you find out the source of the poison?"

"..., this is a very good question. I can't be sure whether the prince poisoned him or not." The witcher backed away slightly.

Kartan scolded: "Stennis's personality is known to swing wildly!"

"You should prove his crime instead of insulting him, you dirty bastard!" Sigri defended.

"Tell me who else would do such a thing! Would civilians want to hurt her? Impossible! It's because of her that you noble dogs will take us seriously!

Pigs are not stupid enough to commit suicide, and civilians are not stupid enough to resist our savior! "

"Maybe it wasn't done by civilians. But no matter what, no one can prove that it was done by the prince, idiot!"

Seeing that Sigri showed no intention of backing down, Kaltan became even more angry.

"Then answer my question, is Stennis's room next to Saskia's? Is the wine taken out of his dirty wine cellar? Can he send people in and out of the kitchen in the meeting room?"

The people all agreed: "Yes, the noble prince can, curse him!"

"No one in Vergen would want to murder Saskia! Even if someone wants to do it, only Stennis can do it!"

The neutral white-haired witcher interrupted the opponent's momentum, "Kartan, your words are biased. We only know that Priest Orcorn wants to get rid of Saskia. He feels that she is a beast inside, but this cannot contact the prince. body."

"Of course! That sissy Alcorn is always tied up by Stennis like a dog."

Sigri shouted: "How dare you say that! Do you mean that if someone is next to a married woman, he must sleep with her?"

"The priest once tried to persuade Prince Stennis to join this conspiracy. It was also he who gave the priest permission to enter the kitchen." Geralt stated the results of the investigation.

Kaltan: "Is Stennis an idiot? Dancing to a rotten priest!? So he didn't poison the Saint, but he allowed it to happen. Orcorn deserved to die in the Fey Mist, and now it's his turn Stennis!"

Sigri: "There is no evidence that the prince agreed to do this! That's just empty talk. Too much speculation and not enough evidence. You can't convict anyone based on that alone."

At this time, Prince Stennis walked out of the cave, his golden armor shining, and he stood proudly in front of everyone.

Sigri quickly stepped forward and bowed, "Your Highness...it's very dangerous here..."

Stennis waved his hand, "I'm not afraid. Fear is the privilege of civilians, not people like me with royal blood."

Then the prince faced Kartan and shouted loudly, "What do you want? To judge me? Would a prince steal eggs in the market like an ordinary thief?

You are now standing in front of the royal family! How dare you disobey me?

In this world, some crimes can be forgiven! And some crimes cannot be forgiven!

A mother who kills her baby or a man who slits his brother's throat cannot be forgiven...

The crimes committed by those chosen by the gods are also unpardonable, and those who resist the power of the gods cannot survive in the world.

Bow and salute! You are standing before a prince, I am the King of the Aedirnians, the Favorite of God, the Leader of the Vale of Pontar, the son of Demavi and Wulfri. "

The public representative who was solemnly rebuked suddenly retreated in frustration, bowed his waist and asked with all his strength, "What about the murderer who poisoned the Saint of Aedirn?"

The prince said clearly, "First, Saskia is still alive, so no one can accuse me of her death. Second, you have no evidence to prove that I wanted to murder her. And third, I told everyone present Everyone promises that I will not flout the law, but only she, the Holy Lady of Aedirn, can judge me."

"How treacherous! If Saskia never recovers, who will judge you?", Kaltan shouted again.

Faced with doubts, Prince Stennis opened his hands and said, "I believe she will be cured. But if the gods decide otherwise, we will convene a meeting of wise elders to pronounce judgment. I am not your enemy, but should Object of reverence, let my deeds be like fire, illuminating your darkness!”

Sigri shouted loudly: "Look! This is the style of a king of a country!"

The square fell into a brief silence, with people holding pitchforks looking left and right, until Geralt of Rivia broke the silence.

“Please listen to me, whether the prince is guilty or not, he is entitled to a fair trial and we cannot take away his power.

What would happen if we gave the prince to the people? Will people give the prince a chance to speak in his defence?

No way, they would hang him from a tree or cut him into pieces.

What would happen if we condoned lynching? What if what people see is not reality?

Who will guarantee that they will not avenge previous mistakes?

Reality and imagination...Who will protect those innocent nobles from the mobile mob? How is this whole thing going to play out...?

What is certain is that if you bleed in this square, it will definitely be the happiest thing for Henselt on the other side of the river! "

…

…

"Uncle's statement was very reasonable, and both the people and the nobles chose to accept it, so Stennis was placed under house arrest." After describing the previous riots in Lundulin Square, Angouleme handed a letter to Victor. inside.

"This is what the Scoia'tael found from Orcorn. The 'suspected poisoner' died on the way to deliver the letter. Iorveth said that if the letter is taken out, he will definitely die and it will cause the army to split, so let me first Put it away and I’ll leave it to you when you come back.”

Victor took the letter and looked through it. It was written by Henselt to Stennis. The content was mostly crude and obscene threats, asking the prince to hand over Saskia and Vergen, otherwise he would have an intimate relationship with his mother. Many of them were He couldn't afford the consequences.

There is nothing wrong with the content itself. The problem is that the angry mob will not forgive it. They will definitely shout: "Prince, why do you want to rebel?" and then hang Stennis.

…

After considering the cause and effect, Victor took Angouleme with him and passed the elf guard with a warrant.

Visiting the cave dwelling again, "Glory of the King" is a masterpiece that promotes the eternal kingship. The scene of "pure white" Rafael refusing to accept the crown is still hanging on the wall.

When I saw the prince of Aedirn again, his gleaming golden armor remained unchanged, while his bald head and round eyebrows became increasingly gloomy.

Behind Stennis stood guard Brohan, and behind Victor stood member Angoulin.

The same firelight illuminated the side faces. As the guest and host sat down separately, their faces looked half-dark.

The witcher caressed his chest and said, "Your Highness, I didn't expect so many things to happen after we last met."

"Monster Slayer, are you here to kill me?" the prince asked sarcastically.

"No, witchers are not supposed to kill people. It's just your highness the prince. Can you honestly tell me, was it you who ordered Orkan to poison Saskia?"

"Of course not. Even if there is, do you think I will admit it? Don't be stupid."

"I'm trying to help. Your Highness, I'm not just helping Saskia, I'm helping you too. I will defend you if necessary."

"I will not give in to the mob! Never! They surrounded my residence, vented their vile anger, and used vicious rumors to slander me! Do you really think that every time some idiot villager says: 'The prince did it!' I will Come out and plead my innocence for once? Or go out and beg for their forgiveness?”

"You just have to convince them that you are innocent, prove that it was not you and no one can wrongly accuse you."

"How does your story differ from that of the dirty white-haired witcher yesterday? What if I am innocent but lack evidence to prove it?

You said you were here to help me... then do it! I know you had a relationship with that butcher Iorveth and convinced his men to release me. Convince the people to trust me, you won't regret it, I promise to give you generous rewards. "

"..., if I'm not wrong, are you trying to bribe me?"

"No, I just want to make a deal with you. Think about it carefully. The king's friendship is precious and rare."

Victor patted his knee.

"Instead of bribing, I actually have a better proposal. Remember? My last request, you can choose to donate blood to save Saskia. As long as she recovers from the poison, with her authority in the hearts of civilians, it is easy to prove that you With the news of her rescue, they will soon forget your suspicion."

"You weren't here yesterday and didn't hear what they said? They wanted my head on my head, they compared me to the words of some country fool. I am the heir to the throne of Aedirn, the rightful ruler of this land, De Descendants of Mavi and Wulfly.”

"Don't be excited, Your Highness, if you help me heal Saskia, the people will forget this accident..."

"What if...? So, if I don't help you, you let them imprison me...murder me...this is blackmail! Smash the seeds! The king will not accept blackmail!"

"Your Highness, you are not yet the King, and I would rather call it a deal."

"Are you laughing at me? Do you have the guts to say what you want again?"

"No problem, I need your blood - royal blood - to make a potion to save Saskia."

Compared to Stennis' excitement, Victor's expression was calm.

"You owe Saskia a life, and you owe me a life. Don't forget that she and I saved you from the mist of demon spirits. And the Orkan priest who caused all this will only scream like An old witch."

The prince snarled, "That is her duty, just like any Aedirn. Besides, she is responsible for the fall of my kingdom."

If Saskia and her rebel army had not defeated the royal army at Guleta and the banks of the Diphni River, effectively causing the regular army to cease to exist in Upper Aedirn, there would be no way Henselt would have violated the Treaty of Sintra! "

"The rebels may defeat your army, but they are also your last hope to stop Henselt."

"Even if we win, what next? A pig's head becomes a king and then appoints a shoe shiner as his secretary of state?"

"Your Highness, don't think so far ahead. Just a few drops of your blood can cure Saskia, and then with her taking command, Fergen can protect himself."

"I have already said that I don't owe this girl anything. Even if it means losing my life, I will not give in to blackmail. I will look the despicable murderer in the eyes. I will never hand over a drop of the royal family. blood to save a peasant girl!"

Prince Stennis' eyes were cold and firm.

"Someone come! Take the witcher out."

"Wait, Prince, please. Prince Stennis, please think again, do you think I still have a chance?"

"Get out of here, you piece of shit!"

Guard Brohan approached to chase away the people, and Victor covered his face with his palms.

The sword light flashed in the next second, and Angouleme's golden eagle slashed diagonally, directly severing Brohan's throat, and blood spurted out on the top of the cave dwelling.

Stennis jumped up from his chair. This bloody and sudden scene scared him so much that he kicked his chair over and his hands and feet shook, and his upper and lower teeth chattered.

"You...what are you doing? Do you want to kill the king!!!"

Putting his elbows on the table, Victor crossed his fingers in front of him, and the light from the fire mingled, "Shh! Stay calm. There is no use shouting. I ordered the guards before coming in. You know I am Iorveth's My friend, no one will come to save you even if you break your throat.

Let's be honest, we all know that the three hundred soldiers under your command will not be divided as long as you are not dead. So please don’t resist during the next process of extracting the royal blood. If you resist, I don’t mind injuring you, including but not limited to cutting off one of your limbs.

Don't try to bluff, my dear Prince, your face is pale and your hands and feet are shaking.

I have investigated the nobles of Vengerberg. Your father left too suddenly. A wave of unrest swept through the kingdom. Saskia disturbed the minds of the serfs, and the citizens also demanded more power.

Influential nobles are trying to undermine your claim to the throne.

For example - the Weinrat family is not only powerful, but also closely related to the royal family. They are working in tandem to terminate your coronation and launch their own candidate.

If you lose one of your limbs at this time, I believe that the undecided family will immediately turn against you. After all, who will support a disabled prince?

Your Highness, if you think about it clearly, do you think I still have a chance? "

…

Some time later, a small chaos occurred in Stennis's mansion. The evil Henselt sent assassins to try to assassinate the prince. Fortunately, the fearless Phantom Troupe happened to be present. Victor led Angouleme to heroically thwart the attack. The only pity is that the prince's guard Blohan died on the spot.

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