Chapter 18: The King's Inquiry
[You feel adequately rested. Skill Proficiency gain speed increased]
When Arthur opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was not a snow-white ceiling, but the familiar text.
It seems the enhancement effect is stronger than the last time I slept… He looked around and immediately understood the reason:
When he stayed at Walker's, he slept on a straw bed on the floor. Although he was so exhausted he fell asleep instantly, the smell of horse manure outside the window and the fleas in the straw were definitely not a bonus. Now, he was lying in a real bed, the sheets warm and soft, and his nose caught the faint fragrance of the Sorceress…
The Sorceress? Where am I?!
Arthur bolted upright. The maid by the window gasped, dropping her rag onto the floor, and quickly bent to pick it up.
This was Triss's residence. Arthur looked at the maid's familiar profile; it was the Sorceress's doorman. He was about to ask the young maid what was going on, but she shot him a look of displeasure and darted out of the room.
"How badly was I beaten to scare a child like that?" Arthur smiled bitterly, touching his chin, but he felt no pain whatsoever.
"Tina wasn't scared. She just had to tell us the moment you woke up."
A soft voice rang out, and the Sorceress walked in with an elegant stride, followed by Velerad, whose face held a complicated expression.
"The Princess's curse wasn't lifted?" Seeing the Mayor's long face, a bad premonition surged in Arthur's heart.
The Mayor shook his head. In that case, it was a success. Arthur sighed in relief, quickly pressing: "When can I see the Royal entourage?" He was genuinely afraid that the so-called Royal favor was a joke. Kolgrim's life was at stake!
"Immediately. The King requires you to come and see him the moment you wake up."
Arthur's heart dropped. So urgent? Did something go wrong with the Princess? He looked to Triss, hoping the good-natured Sorceress could offer some guidance.
But the Royal Advisor merely patted his shoulder: "When you meet the King, be sure to tell the truth. Do not conceal anything."
Arthur nodded, utterly bewildered. There was nothing for him to hide anyway.
He met Foltest, King of Temeria, Pontar, and Mahakam, in the New Royal Palace. The King was about forty, slender, and as handsome as the citizens claimed. He was accompanied only by a young man with a face like cast iron.
The King began his inquiry without preamble: "Roche, report on the Princess's condition."
The young man stepped forward and spoke in a voice loud enough to be heard but not loud enough to carry outside the room:
"The Princess has multiple abrasions on her arms, minor finger fractures, and severe muscle strain in her lower back; moderate swelling in her calves, and minor hairline fractures to her tibia and fibula were found. Additionally, there is a clear contusion on her right ankle, judged to be from a ligature."
With every injury Roche reported, Arthur's heart sank further. Finally, the King leaned forward in his chair:
"My daughter is, you could say, covered in wounds. And yet, little Witcher, why do you have no injuries on your body? Are you more formidable than the genius Witcher of the Wolf School, managing not to be struck once?"
The situation was clear: he had hit too hard, and the father was unhappy. He needed to quickly play the victim, but where were his injuries?
Arthur smiled bitterly, pointing to his nose: "How could that be? Although Madam Triss and the Mayor had made ample preparations for me, I was still cornered by the Princess at one point. My shoulder, back, and arms were all struck by the Princess's fists. But strangely, though the pain felt like I was about to cough up blood at the time, there are no scars left now."
Foltest pondered for a moment, then said: "Recount the entire process of lifting the curse, with no concealment whatsoever."
Arthur carefully heeded Triss's advice and recounted the entire experience without omission: the terrace confrontation, hiding in the sarcophagus, the mutual brawling in the crypt, and the final rematch.
The King looked at Roche, who nodded: "The battle sequence he described is logical and corresponds to the Princess's injuries, though the last part is missing."
"What last part?" Arthur blurted out.
"When I found the Princess, she was lying on your chest covered only by her hair." Roche's voice was much lower, his eyes holding a difficult-to-read expression.
"I didn't, I didn't! That's not true!" Arthur instantly jumped up. "I didn't do anything! I was genuinely knocked unconscious!"
"Why are you rushing? I have no intention of blaming you for that." Foltest said gently. "Roche said you were in a deep coma at the time. I trust his judgment."
Arthur immediately shot a grateful look toward Roche.
The King, observing this exchange, offered a subtly knowing smile: "You will soon receive the reward stated in the commission, perhaps even more, provided you answer one final question. Did you notice anything amiss during the process of lifting the curse?"
Arthur answered without hesitation: "Yes! More than one thing!" He mentioned the handle inside the coffin lid and subtly hinted that the Queen's remains were not found in the double-occupancy sarcophagus.
"Not that." Foltest's expression was somewhat complex: "I know who installed that handle. I truly have a diligent Mayor!"
Velerad installed the handle? To make it easier for the person lifting the curse to hold the lid shut from the inside? Arthur quickly tried to mend the situation: "I owe a lot to that handle, or I would never have been able to keep the Princess out."
The King waved his hand wearily: "Tell me the next anomaly."
This time, Arthur chose his words much more cautiously than before: "The Princess's reaction to silver was much more violent than the reports suggested."
In Triss's description, the Princess touching silver was akin to being scalded by boiling water. But during the struggle last night, the silver caused tendrils of smoke to rise the moment it touched the Princess's skin like a red-hot iron.
Did this mean the Princess's curse was more severe? He blurted out: "So, has the curse on the Princess been completely lifted?"
At this question, the King's expression brightened considerably: "Triss believes so. She said she couldn't detect any trace of dark magic within Adda. Furthermore, Adda's hair has not turned white according to Witcher theory, this also means the curse has been completely cleansed. I trust Triss's judgment. Provided she doesn't have to face a monster herself, the advisor is quite reliable."
Arthur sighed in relief. It seemed the matter was finally resolved successfully. He straightened his back, contemplating how to bring up Kolgrim's situation.
"We've been sitting inside long enough. Let's talk a while in the sunlight." Foltest stood up, seemingly in a very good mood.
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