Witcher's Atelier

Hilard and Radovid left one after another, taking away most of the security forces. The torches on the walls swayed eerily, and the dungeon suddenly became deserted and lonely.

There were still vicious curses from the guards, but they stopped uttering any words since some time ago.

The sorceress whose eyes were dug out turned over and lay on her back. The part that gathered people's hearts rose and fell with her breathing. In the quiet and eternal dark world, only the sound of dripping water was hollow.

Philippa Ehart... When they first met in the palace, even her apprentice Cynthia dared not give face to Radovid, but now she can only stay in the dungeon and wait for death - if she doesn't save her.

Looking down at the once invincible "Pearl of the Court of Traitorg" falling to this point, Victor let out a long breath and expressed his feelings of "I watched her build a high building, I watched her entertain guests, and I watched her building collapse..."

"Ms. Philippa... you are so hard to find."

Hearing this familiar voice, the sorceress sat up in shock, and immediately thought of the guard's muted curse.

"Victor Corleone!? Why are you here? What are you doing here?"

"What do you think? Did I come from Vergen to Loc Munne and sneak into the Nilfgaard dungeon to enjoy the passionate performance of Philippa Ehart and Radovid's reunion as a teacher and student?"

The sorceress was choked by him, "...I didn't know you were so poisonous before!"

"I didn't know you would do so many things that deserved to be hanged!" The witcher refused to give in.

"Ah... look at how they treat me! When Radovid was young, I helped him sit on the throne and taught him how to be a king, but this is how he repays me!

Help me, I have to leave here, do you hear me? Victor, please help me!" At the end, her voice was wailing and pitiful.

Victor sat cross-legged in front of her. "Philippa, I will consider your request, but you have to answer a few questions first.

Tell me, is what Hillard said true? Regarding the sorceress's meeting, did you hire the kingslayer to assassinate the king?"

"Hillard only said what Radovid wanted to hear. You must know that the truth that has been carefully designed, deleted and misleading is almost the same as a lie."

The sorceress's answer made the witcher pause slightly.

"Then let's change the question. Xier Tanshaweier led the assassination of Demave. Did Triss and Keira also participate?"

"Keira, I knew about it a long time ago. Triss also has something to do with you? Haha, I actually thought she really loved Geralt...

Don't worry, they didn't participate in the assassination, just like a child's innocence, but that's all. Keira knew about the assassination of Demave, and I believe Triss also concealed many things from you..."

Philippa's answer made Victor roll his eyes quietly. Everything can be associated with the friendship between Guan and Bao. Can't people have pure friendship?

He knew that the other party had misunderstood, but he was too lazy to distinguish them.

"Why did all this happen? What is the purpose of murdering the king? I need your detailed explanation."

"Help me get out of here, and I will explain everything, even remove the spell on Saskia. Untie these shackles and take me to my residence. Please, I will tell you everything, everything!"

The originally bright black eyes were left with empty blood holes, and the blood flowing out of them stained the white face with blood and tears.

Sigh of pity. He had already decided to get the sorceress out, but the witcher was still tough on the surface.

"Did you know from the beginning that Saskia was a dragon?"

"Are you heartless? You want to take revenge on a blind woman? Can't my suffering move you?" She asked in a low roar.

He said indifferently, "Answer the question, I am the opportunity you must seize. The seconds are running out, and time is limited."

The place where people gather is heaving, and after taking a deep breath, Philippa regained her composure, "I suspected a long time ago that she was not as she seemed, but it was not until she fell down due to poisoning that I discovered this fact after a careful examination of her body."

"I have seen the list of formulas required for the antidote, and there is no memory rose in it. Is this what you use to control her?"

"I will not apologize for this... Everyone likes loyal allies. The power of the memory rose is extremely strong, even if Saskia is a female dragon, she cannot resist it. .

Save me from here... Only I know how to remove the control. If I die, she will be bound by the spell forever. ”

“Then why don’t you summon her? You need help now.”

“The magic-blocking gold shackles block all magic, including the spell of transmitting messages, and even if it can be…” The sorceress shook her head helplessly, “She should be participating in the summit with Xier at this moment. The amphitheater is a magic-free area. No one can cast spells in it, let alone contact them from a distance.”

Her words reminded the witcher that time is limited. You can talk while walking, but the means to remove the magic must be obtained as soon as possible.

Victor stood up and approached, holding Philippa’s head and pouring healing potion, and then helped her up.

"Let me make it clear first, I am not here alone. Iorveth is probably impatient to see you."

"My death will not change anything. And Iorveth and all his kind have no right to judge anyone. They are the representatives of the lowest moral level."

The softness pressed heavily on her arms, and she clung to him tightly. The two of them passed through the prison door and the guards sleeping on the ground. Those who were attacked by the silent "Axis" would not even remember why they suddenly fell asleep when they woke up.

"How does the spell of the memory rose work?"

"Saskia's will is one with mine, and she can't resist my demands. But don't worry, it won't hurt her. She just believes that I'm the best person in the world... It's like falling in love .

Do you know what the most amazing place is? Even though she is affected by the spell, she remains unchanged on the surface. She still has her charm, bravery and honor. "

"What was the last order you gave Saskia?"

"Before I was arrested, I asked her to meet Xi'er and follow her orders until I showed up."

Driving through the uneven road in the highlands, the sorceress stumbled even though there was a witcher to lend her strength.

"Please, no tricks!"

"I don't... I just want to get out of here, I want to live."

The princess picked up Philippa, and Victor quickly passed through the rough terrain and did not put him down until he returned to a smooth area.

She asked gently: "Maybe you can unshackle me?"

"No, don't even think about it, I will never take off the shackles." He replied firmly.

Arriving at the place where he was separated from Iorveth, and seeing the sorceress and the bloody holes in her eyes, the Elf Commander raised the corner of his mouth and said, "Wick, please tell me who made her like this. I want to wish him a long life." age."

"This was Radovid's way of thanking Philippa for taking care of him during his childhood."

"No wonder I saw him whistling and leading his troops to the talks."

"Can you stop chatting and get me out of here quickly..." Philipba interjected.

Iorveth spat, "Shut up! Damn witch, if you can't learn to be quiet, I'll gladly slit your throat."

"Listen to me, Philippa promised to assist in exchange for her freedom."

"And you believe her? A cousin who sells P* shares?"

"Do you have other ways to save Saskia?" Victor's rhetorical question left the elf commander speechless.

Ignoring him, the witcher helped the sorceress and continued walking south.

"Ms. Erhardt, what would you do if the dragon slayer hadn't been poisoned, or if some idiot witcher hadn't collected the ingredients for the potion?"

"I will seek other means, but I will not let go of the opportunity to be poisoned."

"Then Xi'er goes to participate in the Lomugna Summit. What does she... or what do you want to achieve?"

Philippa stared into the void with her dark eyes, "The first thing is to restore the Mage Council. After years of chaos and destruction, the time for reconstruction has arrived. If the north wants to defend against Nilfgaard's invasion, the Mage Council is indispensable.

Then there is the Saskia Republic, which has the dragon slayer as its leader and is recognized by other kings.

Yes, we want to rule. But what's wrong with that? Everybody wants to be the ruler! And I know what to do, better than any other king of the nation in this city. "

"But don't expect to gain the trust of ordinary people. Humans will never accept a sorceress as a queen." Victor replied softly.

Iorveth, who was walking behind, echoed coldly, "Not even non-human races. Look at what good things that old woman in Findabey has done."

The sorceress who lost her eyes had bumpy steps, but moved forward firmly, "People will believe in Saskia, they all trust her. That girl is a natural leader, but it is a pity that she has no political intuition."

She is charming but not shrewd, courageous but not fierce enough, she is fair but lacks the necessary cruelty..."

"She is exactly the opposite of you!" Iorveth couldn't bear her comments.

"What I'm trying to say is... together we can be unstoppable."

Seeing that the elf commander is about to confront the sorceress again.

Victor interrupted by opening a new topic, "Philippa, the murder of Foltest really had nothing to do with you? Then why did Hillard say Triss confirmed..."

"Triss has no idea what she's talking about. The existence of the Sorceress's Covenant and her loss of our trust are true so far. I also admit that Demavi's death was our plan, but the assassination of Folty Ste? That was never my order."

Iorveth didn't care who wanted to kill Foltest, he had his focus, "Witch, how do we rescue Saskia?"

"I fixed the counter-spell on a short sword. You can pierce it into her heart to release the control." Philipba said calmly.

The elf cursed angrily, "Dirty cousin, are you fooling us? If you want to stab you, I'll stab you in the heart!"

"There is no other way." The sorceress said sarcastically, "You must stab Saskia at a surgically precise angle, otherwise the counterspell will not be effective. The runes on the blade must all touch the blood, and the knife The tip must penetrate some ventricle of her heart."

Victor: "Sounds like we need to find a way to hold Saskia down."

"Suppressing a giant dragon? This is ridiculous! Victor, the witch is lying, I don't believe her. After successfully manipulating the saint, why does she need such a short sword? Don't tell me she is planning to release the witch in the future. Chia.”

Philippa retorted calmly, "Don't easily evaluate facts you don't know. When the Wizard Council is still there, every time a spell or curse is cast, the warlock must prepare a counterspell. This is the basic rule of magic. I Prepare this dagger before casting the spell, just in case anything goes wrong..."

"This code does exist, although I have never heard of any mage following it. Where is the dagger?" The witcher spoke to set the tone.

"In Geoffrey Monk's old home, on the rooftop of the top floor, in a box tightly protected by magic."

"Well... I roughly know which box it is. The seal on it is really hard to deal with. I'm sorry, Philippa, I went in to search without your permission, but your whereabouts are really hard to find."

"I accept your apology, but can you give me some more healing potion? It has a very good pain relief effect."

Before Victor could answer, Iorveth scolded, "Don't you have magic? Bitch, the sooner you let us get the dagger, the sooner we can heal."

"Recovery spells require concentration and precision, and now I can't maintain this spell." The sorceress whispered in defense.

"Then die in pain! Don't worry, no one will help you or cry for you."

...

After a while.

"Ton ton ton ton" After drinking the healing potion, Philippa stared at the witcher with dark eyes, "Aren't you afraid that the elves will be angry if they know?"

Releasing the hand that supported her neck, Victor did not answer.

To be fair, he thought that Iorveth's attitude was a bit excessive. On the one hand, he needed her help, while verbally humiliating her. This approach was inconsistent with his style of doing things.

Although he was very wary of sorceresses, it was nothing to relieve pain and heal injuries for the visually impaired. Just don't be stupid and untie the magic-blocking golden handcuffs.

In his past life memories, this woman was a typical conspirator and a powerful magician, with almost no shortcomings in all aspects. Even though he had killed many mages so far, he was not sure that he could control the other party if he released them rashly.

As for why he didn't speak up to persuade the elves, of course it was because, by comparison, Iorveth was his own. And he didn't have that kind of friendship with Ms. Philippa Ehart.

No answer itself was an answer. The sound of water dripping in the quiet sewer, the sorceress did not ask any more questions.

After a while, "Come here quickly! There are no Redanian soldiers outside the door. They were all taken away by Radovid." Iorveth, who was sent away to investigate, said from above.

...

Seeing the light of day again, he entered the top floor of Philippa's residence again. Here, the ground was painted with a wonderful magic circle pattern, and a unique treasure chest was placed in the center, with two steel puppets standing next to it.

Victor had noticed this place when he and Angouleme came to search before, but due to the magic blockade and the two golems, the Phantom Troupe chose to give up directly.

"A heavy and gorgeous treasure chest with many runes on the surface. There is a pentagram circle and many candles on the ground." said the witcher.

The sorceress nodded, "Yes, that's where Joffrey Monk used to place precious treasures. The magic-breaking dagger is inside."

"Just tell me what preparations to make."

"Untie my shackles and take away the anti-magic metal. I need to cast a spell."

"Wait! Tell me how to open it first?" Iorveth interrupted.

The sorceress sniffed, "The candles must be lit in a specific order. Anyone can do it. My note is downstairs. Go read it and find out the order. After lighting the candles, remove my shackles. Let me cast a simple spell."

The elf turned to the witcher, "Victor, do you understand this ritual?"

"This is a blind spot in my knowledge," Victor shook his head in denial, "I will light the candles, and then we will remove the thallium."

After that, he went downstairs to find the note, lit the candles according to the instructions, and turned to Philippa: "Ms. Ehart, it's done."

"Now remove my shackles, I will cast a spell to open the box."

Iorveth: "Can't we both cast the spell?"

"This can be learned right away. Only a trained wizard can cast a spell. The candles are already lit, let's move quickly! Do as I say before I lose consciousness due to the pain!"

"If you dare to be clever, I will kill you." After removing the thallium shackles, Iorveth drew his steel sword and pressed it against the back of her neck.

Feeling the coldness of the weapon, the sorceress faced the magic circle and murmured: "Said'aubwe asidas'ido isndoai."

The blue magic aura dissipated, illuminating Philippa's pale face. She suddenly said, "Victor, you may be able to remove the spell that binds her, but she is not a human after all. If you really think she can rule the kingdom of humans and elves by herself..."

"Bitch, shut up! She is not just a human, she will bring hope back to my elves." Iorveth cursed and interrupted.

"I'm tired of your stupidity and meanness, you will pay the price for this!" The sorceress suddenly retorted.

Standing in the center of the magic circle, Victor immediately realized that something was wrong.

But with a rumbling sound, the spell cast by Philippa trapped Victor firmly in the pentagram magic circle. At the same time, the powerful fluctuations erupted with her as the center, directly shaking Iorveth away.

In a trance, her temperament changed, and she changed from a fragile and pitiful blind woman to the pearl of the Tritog Palace-the proud sorceress of Redania.

The grief and indignation she showed to the king not long ago, and the weakness and helplessness she showed to the witcher, have now disappeared without a trace.

Her long skirt fluttered, her demeanor was calm, and she caught the elf in mid-air with one hand.

The situation suddenly changed.

"Respectable Ms. Ehrhardt, what you did is different from what we agreed on..." On the surface, she asked calmly, but in fact, she was trying her best to explore the flaws of the magic barrier. The witcher was confident that this thing would not be able to stop him for a few minutes.

The bloody hole was facing Victor, and Philippa sneered contemptuously, "No! Viscount Corleone, this is just to ensure that you will fulfill your promise, especially this humble elf, his attitude is not friendly at all. You know, I can wake up the golem at this moment and let these two steel puppets entertain you well, but I didn't."

"Ka!" The sound of the treasure chest unlocking sounded from behind at the right time.

Staring at the blood and tears on the face of the sorceress, feeling a little guilty, the witcher scratched his hair, "In this case... Mr. Ehart, who has gained freedom, what are you waiting for?"

"Victor...↑, Victor...↓, thank you.

I want to give you a piece of advice-get out of Lomne as soon as possible!"

The next moment, "Ha!" Philippa transformed into an owl and flew out of the window and disappeared.

Thanks to the book friends Dafeng233 and Prof_S_Snape for their rewards and encouragement. Thanks to the book friends for their recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Tonight, my friend and his wife came to Simon for dinner. They are really a perfect match. I wish them a long life together.