Chapter 24: The Unstained Blade
Arthur felt no actual moral condemnation over the veteran's death. He was merely an accomplice; he killed him, and that was that. What was there to feel guilty about?
Yes, the veteran's wife lost her husband and his sons lost their father, which was regrettable. But were the Hoffer villagers who died by his hand, whose heads were spiked on spears, any less pitiful?
That was why Arthur had said that even if he could do it all over again, he would still kill the man without hesitation a person must always pay the price for their actions.
Kolgrim sighed: "Your learning ability is the strongest I have ever seen, but the way you view things is ridiculously naive. I even doubt you belong in this world."
Arthur, half-serious and half-joking, said: "Perhaps I am from another world, a world where everyone is equal or at least, the mainstream society shares that consensus."
"And I've come here to bring some difference to this world."
Kolgrim gave a rare smile: "You might as well say you are an old monster who drifted here during the Conjunction of the Spheres. That would be more believable."
"Enough idle talk. What's next?"
"First, of course, we go to the village." Arthur found a thick curtain and bundled the villagers' remains into a mass: "There are no bodies of Lena or Claire here. I need to confirm their situation."
"Also, I plan to use the money we search for in the Lord's house to hire some villagers to bury the bodies, so they don't rot."
"And besides, someone is waiting for us there."
When they left Amavet Fortress, the sun had passed its zenith and was beginning to set. The elongated shadow of the gate was an exact replica of the day he had stood there for his own judgment.
Kolgrim turned back, looking at the fresh bloodstains in the courtyard, and sighed with some emotion: "Do you think Ignatius felt his death was unjust?"
According to the servants, they found the blueprints easily they were simply hanging on the side of a bookshelf. The reason the Lord's subordinates failed to find them was that those men were only focused on chests and secret rooms and subconsciously ignored items left out in the open.
If the Lord hadn't confiscated the blueprints, Kolgrim would likely have agreed to run away immediately. And if they had found the blueprints sooner, Arthur would have missed Florian, who was returning from his rampage.
But through a series of coincidences, those two confiscated blueprints ultimately became the Lord's death warrant.
Arthur shook his head: "Even if I had missed him then, I would most likely have returned to kill him later." As a transmigrator who grew up in modern society, it was hard to stand by and watch a village annihilation, now that he had both power and status.
Rather than dwelling on these hypothetical scenarios, it was better to improve his combat skills quickly. The next time he encountered a similar situation, he would be able to nip it in the bud.
Kolgrim clicked his tongue: "How long was I locked up? I feel like you've become a different person."
"Look at that cloak! Do you know the price of a red fox pelt right now?"
"Also, when did you learn to use a two-handed greatsword? The way you fought, it looked like you'd been practicing for over a decade!"
Arthur smiled: "I can't quite explain it. The moment I held the sword, I felt as if it had grown out of my arm perhaps I truly am a genius at this."
"As for the cloak, Velerad said it was standard issue for a Knight of the Throne. Everyone gets one."
Kolgrim grudgingly nodded during the first half of the explanation, but when Arthur mentioned "Knight of the Throne," the Witcher's mouth dropped open wide enough to fit a fist:
"Knight of the Throne! What exactly did you do to be knighted? Don't tell me you saved the King!"
Arthur smiled reservedly:
"Do you remember the story you told about Geralt lifting the curse on the Princess? I did that job again last night."
After hearing Arthur's words, Kolgrim was silent for a long moment before saying: "You didn't have to go to such lengths, truly. Any one of those things could have cost you your life if it went wrong."
Arthur shook his head, speaking softly: "It wasn't all for you. I simply cannot stand those who wantonly trample on others, who take pride in being a privileged class that disregards order I want things to be the way they should be."
The topic was becoming heavy, so Arthur pointed to Adda and Triss waving from the bridgehead, forcing a light tone:
"Just assume I did it to seek fortune and prestige. Look, I even abducted the Princess."
"How did you get involved with a Sorceress!?" Kolgrim's tone suddenly became very serious: "Sorceresses use magic to alter their appearance. Take the one in front of us, for example: she looks like a delicate young girl, but she might be two hundred years old. Don't get caught up in it."
He spoke while still far from the two women, and he deliberately lowered his voice.
But Adda's senses clearly had not regressed to human standards along with her appearance. She immediately yelled: "Hey! Discussing a lady's age in front of her is rude! You weird-eyed old man!"
Being caught red-handed bad-mouthing someone was the most awkward thing Arthur could imagine.
Fortunately, as the Royal Advisor, Triss's social skills were more than capable of controlling the scene.
She curtsied gracefully, fully displaying the elegance and refinement of a royal advisor: "It seems that even a Witcher, who constantly deals with superstitions and curses, cannot escape prejudice against Sorceresses."
"If the word 'Sorceress' gives you a negative impression, you are welcome to see me as simply a beautiful young girl who happens to know how to use magic to maintain her physique especially when compared to the two-hundred-year-old lady you spoke of."
"My apologies. I shouldn't have made judgments about you in private." Kolgrim returned an equally deep bow but did not apologize for the content of his statement. Clearly, he believed his mistake was only one of manners.
Triss raised an eyebrow and walked gracefully toward Kolgrim, her pale hand gently stroking his cheek, though without any hint of flirtation.
"Look at your face."
After a few breaths, the Sorceress held a delicate little mirror in front of the Witcher. Kolgrim's breathing immediately grew heavy. In the mirror was a handsome face, free of scars or burns, with a normal complexion.
"Look! Even an iron-hearted Witcher can't help but smile when they regain the face of a normal man." Triss's triumph was perfectly measured, making her look like a little girl cheering for a success, rather than being off-putting.
Kolgrim's tone was a mix of confusion and shock: "This is truly a miracle. But how did you do it? Our bodies are different from normal people, and our resistance to magic…"
"A Witcher's body has an extremely strong resistance to magic," Triss finished the sentence for him: "So all I did was cover your scars with an illusion. Genuine healing is not completely impossible, but it would require the help of at least one other assistant with a skill level comparable to mine."
Kolgrim stated calmly: "In my experience, that is the polite way of saying it is impossible."
Putting aside the verbal sparring between the Witcher and the Sorceress, Adda rushed over to Arthur the moment she saw him. With a speed no less than when she was a monster, she dove into his arms, yelling excitedly:
"Blood! Fresh blood!"
Then, her delicate little face fell: "Why didn't you take me along for something so fun!"
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