Chapter 15: Aid from the Royal Advisor
"Oh, spare me. I know the faces of you politicians too well. You'll turn black into white if it benefits you. I want to hear it from the boy himself." Triss was unyielding in the face of the Mayor's defense. She stepped in front of Arthur, asking on tiptoe:
"Child, tell me, how did you come up with the idea of taking this commission?"
"The Mayor told me…" The moment Arthur opened his mouth, the Mayor's face turned ashen. He frantically winked at Arthur: "The next part! Tell her the next part!"
But Triss merely raised her right hand and gently waved it. A translucent red film appeared out of nowhere in front of the Mayor, completely silencing his voice.
The Sorceress's voice was soft as velvet: "Child, don't be intimidated by the Mayor's title. I am the Royal Advisor of Temeria. A word from me to the King can put this man in a world of trouble. Now, forget all the conditions he made with you and tell me exactly what happened."
Looking into the Sorceress's deep blue eyes, Arthur's throat bobbed:
"So, this commission won't actually attract Royal attention, will it?" He had completely misunderstood the meaning of the Sorceress's words.
"Huh?" Triss's expression shifted from anger and worry to utter confusion.
As Arthur recounted the entire ordeal in White Orchard, the Sorceress was stunned. A blush crept across her exquisite features, visibly marching across all exposed skin.
Triss stiffly moved her arm, her long eyelashes fluttering. She took a deep breath and dispelled the barrier:
"Please forgive me, Mr. Velerad. You truly are a man of high moral character, completely unlike the politicians I have dealt with before."
Relieved that the misunderstanding was resolved, the Mayor let out a sigh: "You flatter me, Madam. I was simply driven mad by the King's constant nagging and decided to rope the boy in."
Triss nodded, then turned back to Arthur: "Do you truly understand the danger you'll be facing?"
Arthur nodded: "Spending a night in a crypt with a monster two meters tall and incredibly strong, without inflicting any serious harm upon it."
He pointed to the pouch at his feet, which held coiled iron chains and two folded fishing nets all retrieved from the Town Hall armory.
"I plan to take advantage of the Princess's limited movement to first net her, then bind her with the chains until the third cockcrow sounds."
"Hahaha-ha!"
After hearing Arthur's plan, the Sorceress bent double with laughter: "Do you think you're hunting a tiger or a bear?"
She raised her hands and traced an arcane curve in the air. Suddenly, a colossal creature appeared in the middle of the room. It was two meters tall with teeth like serrated knives.
"The monster the Princess transforms into is a Striga a magical creature. It's not just a matter of great strength. According to Geralt's description, the thing is lightning fast; he had to drink a potion just to gain the upper hand. If this is all you're relying on, I advise you to give up. Your throat will be torn out before the net even touches the floor."
Triss extended her fair hand and gently patted Arthur's shoulder:
"Child, the King isn't the only one who can save your mentor. I will write a letter to Ignatius, demanding the immediate release of your Witcher mentor and the return of the confiscated schematics under the authority of the Royal Advisor."
This seemed like the best possible outcome, though it was unfortunate the Mayor would still have to face the King's pressure.
Yet, for some reason, Arthur felt uneasy.
Perhaps Ignatius would release the man under Triss's pressure, but he could just as easily execute Kolgrim the moment he received the letter and claim it was a tragedy caused by unfortunate circumstances he wouldn't face any punishment anyway, would he?
There were too many variables in the whole affair; no course of action felt entirely safe.
He looked down, pondering for a moment, and a flash of resolve crossed his eyes:
"What if the part about my voice in Ignatius's warrant is not a complete lie?"
"What did you say?" Velerad's voice became high-pitched and comical. He tried to hide behind Triss, but the Sorceress subtly sidestepped him.
"I do possess a scream that can be used in combat," Arthur said, speeding up his words upon seeing the Mayor's exaggerated reaction. "This scream cannot kill any living creature, but it can drain my enemies' will to fight."
He turned to look at Triss's thoughtful expression: "So, even if I can't trap the monster, ensuring my own safety won't be a problem."
Triss nodded: "That makes sense. Your plan certainly has a chance of success, but it's still not enough."
The Sorceress turned to the Mayor, who still hadn't completely calmed down: "This young man appeals to me. I intend to help him. Will the Town Hall contribute to this?"
Fostering a good relationship with a favorite of the King was something any politician would covet. Velerad instantly perked up. His legs stopped shaking, and his voice regained its strength:
"With the utmost pleasure! I'll go gather the City Guards and have them await Arthur's commands…"
"Do you want the King to misunderstand and think you're staging a coup?" Triss gave the Mayor a charming glare and extended her hand to him: "Do you have any silver coins on you?"
"Yes, yes!" The Mayor rushed to comply, only to realize he had left his purse in his office in his haste. He opened his briefcase and took out an exquisite silver bookmark: "Will this work?"
"What a beautiful bookmark. It would be a shame to destroy it." Triss was about to send the doorman to the bank to exchange for some silver coins, but the Mayor, now energized, insisted that the Sorceress use the bookmark as the casting component regardless.
"I think I'll take back what I said earlier. You may be a man of integrity, but you are still a politician chasing fame and fortune." Triss joked, grabbed one of the fishing nets, and began chanting.
This time, Arthur felt the sensation even more distinctly, as if a flock of birds had suddenly flown past him. Amidst the swirling, invisible flock, the silver bookmark in Triss's palm began to dissolve. On the net, a silvery-white color began to spread outward from the area grasped by her fingers.
Arthur rubbed his eyes, then rubbed them again. The silvery-white color continued to spread until the bookmark completely vanished.
Now he had two gleaming silver fishing nets and several iron chains that looked like silver rings.
Triss clapped her hands with satisfaction and said: "There. All done. The material wasn't abundant, but this level of enchantment should be sufficient. Geralt said silver can sear the monster's skin. Now your odds of success are much better."
If he wasn't mistaken, Triss had just performed a beautiful electroplating with magic! No wonder Kolgrim had said that the Witchers' Signs were only the most rudimentary application of magic!
He thanked Triss profusely, and his feelings toward Velerad were a mixture of gratitude and guilt. While he knew the Mayor was looking out for his own career, the man had gone out of his way to help him, and sacrificed an exquisite bookmark that was private property!
Triss pouted and said: "Don't feel sorry for him. He's delighted right now!"
Velerad chuckled: "Nothing escapes your notice, Madam."
He was indeed delighted; nothing anyone said bothered him.
Helping the King solve his troubles, the Mayor generously offered up his beloved bookmark as a casting component to ensure the smooth progress of the un-cursing project how wonderful that sounded!
What was a mere bookmark worth? An opportunity this good to show loyalty didn't come around every year!
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