Secrets and Sorcery

In the serene Roberta Woods of Toussaint, the peace was suddenly shattered. Beside a clear, tranquil pool where deer drank and butterflies fluttered among the flowers, and where hares nibbled on the grass, the air itself seemed to tremble with chaotic magic. The animals, sensing the disturbance, fled in terror.

Moments later, the calm above the water was violently disrupted as a massive crack opened in the fabric of space. Initially about fifteen meters high, this crack quickly expanded under the pull of an invisible force, widening to form a huge portal, fifteen meters high and five meters wide. The inside of this portal flickered with scenes that resembled a void.

After a few seconds, an enormous, grotesque humanoid figure clad in metal armor poked its head through the portal. After a brief hesitation, it stepped fully into the world, revealing itself as an eight or nine-meter-tall giant. This first giant was soon followed by others, each carrying heavy supplies on their backs. One by one, the giants emerged from the portal, forming a line as they entered the woods.

The procession continued until over two hundred and fifty giants had emerged, their massive bodies crowding the space around the pool. The giants appeared curious yet wary, their collective murmurs creating a cacophony of noise. However, under the direction of several leading giants, order was soon restored, and the group fell silent.

Finally, a man in elaborate armor with blond hair stepped out of the portal. Upon seeing him, the giants immediately lowered their heads in a gesture of respect, their breaths quieting as they acknowledged his presence with a mixture of awe and fear.

Wayne, now returned to the wizarding world, breathed a sigh of relief. The nourishing chaotic magic in the air brought a sense of comfort to both his body and mind. In the low-magic world where Princess Isabel lived, Wayne's immense power had been restrained by the weak magical energy, creating a constant sense of oppression. He even feared that prolonged exposure to such an environment could cause his body to weaken due to the lack of chaotic magic sustaining his mutated organs.

But now, with the giant legion by his side, Wayne felt invincible. Whether in large-scale battles or elite confrontations between kings, the presence of these giants gave him the confidence to face any challenge without fear of retaliation from foolish kings who might consider sending armies against witchers.

However, as Wayne surveyed the formidable yet conspicuous giants, another problem came to mind. They were currently in Toussaint, far to the south, thousands of kilometers from the Northern Kingdoms. The challenge now was how to transport this conspicuous army of giants northward without drawing unwanted attention.

After pondering the situation, Wayne concluded that the best solution involved the use of a large portal, a feat only possible through the power of a warlock. Unfortunately, the only warlock he could currently contact was the powerful elven sorceress, Francesca Findabair. Although Wayne wouldn't hesitate to reveal gold, silver, or jewels to Francesca, he was reluctant to expose the existence of a giant army capable of challenging human forces. The trust between them had not yet reached that level, and such a revelation could lead to unforeseen complications.

Thus, Wayne's best option was to contact Triss Merigold, the red-haired sorceress he trusted implicitly.

But first, he needed to reach out to her. With the two of them separated by thousands of kilometers, magic would be required to bridge the distance.

With this in mind, Wayne mounted his magic flying carpet, ascending into the air. Looking down at the giants assembled below, he issued his orders: "Set up camp here and rest. Do not venture beyond 500 meters from this location. Await my next command."

He then directed his attention to a particular giant—one with a scarred face, no facial hair, and a massive axe strapped to his back. "Glass, this is your first mission as a giant general. Do not cause any trouble, or you know what the consequences will be."

The giant named Glass immediately knelt on one knee, bowing his head in submission. "I obey your orders, Master. I will kill anyone who dares disobey my master's commands."

Wayne nodded approvingly as Glass knelt before him, reaffirming his obedience. This giant had been selected for his loyalty and fighting prowess, making him an ideal candidate to manage the rest of the giants. With the magic crown in his possession, Wayne had little concern about any potential uprisings—these giants were well under his control.

After giving his orders, Wayne immediately directed the magic flying carpet toward Beauclair. It had been almost ten days since he had left, and he was curious to see what changes had taken place in the city during his absence.

Upon arriving back at his shop, Wayne was pleased to see that business was still thriving. From a distance, he could see men and women in exquisite clothing entering and leaving the shop, many of them with satisfied smiles on their faces. Outside, Gaetan, the Cat School Witcher, stood near the entrance, sword on his back and a welcoming smile on his face as he enticed customers into the store. It was clear that Gaetan had taken a liking to his new role.

Wayne greeted Gaetan with a nod before entering the shop. Inside, he found Syanna behind the counter, serving customers with a practiced smile. She wasn't alone—two other young women were helping her, busy with various tasks around the store. It was obvious that they had all settled into a routine in his absence.

Syanna's behavior was particularly noteworthy. The daughter of the former duke had remained obedient and hadn't attempted to escape or cause trouble, which saved Wayne the hassle of dealing with potential betrayals.

When Syanna noticed Wayne's arrival, she quickly excused herself from her current task and approached him with a sweet smile. She greeted him softly, calling him "Master," and pressed herself against him as she reported the shop's business details, including its income and expenses during his absence.

Wayne, although fully aware that Syanna's sweetness was likely a facade, was nonetheless satisfied with her performance. She was smart enough to recognize her position and play her role well, which was exactly the kind of attitude Wayne appreciated in those around him.

After offering Syanna some brief words of praise to calm her nerves, Wayne left the shop and returned to the house behind it. There, he found that Letho and the others had settled in as well. They were practicing swordsmanship in a small training area Wayne had built, honing their skills.

Upon seeing Wayne, Letho quickly approached and handed him several master-level witcher blueprints. It was clear they had completed all the exploration tasks and successfully retrieved the drawings Wayne needed.

This news pleased Wayne greatly. Another master-level mission was now complete, and he hadn't even needed to involve himself directly. All that remained was to visit the elven armor master Tyensel to collect the mission experience and rewards.

With the completion of Letho and the others' mission, Wayne's objectives in Toussaint were also fulfilled. The task of eliminating the evil god given by the Lady of the Lake could wait—there was no rush to complete it immediately.

Wayne turned to Letho and the others and said, "Soon, we'll head to the Kingdom of Temeria together. There will be a stable commission for you to fulfill."

He continued, "During this time, I've been researching ways to reduce the mortality rate in the Trial of the Grasses, and I've found a direction worth exploring. When we reach the north, I'll share my findings, and we can work on improvements together."

Wayne's words were a deliberate incentive. Although Letho and the others had already agreed to follow him north, the promise of advancing the Viper School's legacy would undoubtedly bolster their enthusiasm. The Viper School, now reduced to only a handful of members with no new apprentices, desperately needed to revive its ranks. This ideal of revitalization was something Letho and the others were deeply committed to, even willing to risk their lives for it.

In the original Witcher stories, Emperor Emhyr of Nilfgaard had used the revival of the Viper School as a bargaining chip to compel Letho and others to assassinate northern kings. Of course, this was in addition to the leverage he held over them by threatening the life of the captured sorceress.

Wayne's proposition immediately resonated with Letho and the others. Their desire to restore the Viper School drove them to eagerly await their journey northward with Wayne.

After addressing some minor matters in the city, Wayne returned to his room and contacted Francesca using a magical communicator. However, he didn't require the elven sorceress's assistance for anything significant; he merely asked her to help reach out to Triss as quickly as possible, requesting the red-haired sorceress to come to Toussaint.

Francesca, though clearly suspicious of Wayne's request, chose not to press him for details. Instead, she responded with a slightly resentful tone, "It seems you're hiding a lot from me, Wayne. You trust a human sorceress more than your own kin, or me."

She added, "I hope you'll trust me more in the future. I can keep secrets for you."

Despite her complaints, Francesca was as efficient as ever. By the next night, Triss had contacted Wayne through Francesca's communicator, and using a portal, she arrived in Toussaint.

As soon as they met, Triss greeted Wayne with a passionate kiss, though not before pinching his waist hard and scolding him, "You keep asking other sorceresses for help instead of coming to me. Do you not trust me, Wayne?"

Faced with Triss's playful anger, Wayne could only pull her close, silencing her with a kiss before carrying her to the bedside, answering all her questions with action rather than words.

No woman, especially one as magically sensitive as Triss, could resist the impact of a witcher's embrace.

By the next morning, Wayne lay beside Triss, satisfied and content, as he whispered his request into her ear.

"Triss, I need to build a large portal to transport a group of big guys from Toussaint to Kaer Morhen, our wolf witchers' stronghold."

"This is a very secretive matter, and I only trust you to help me with it."

...

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