Only after receiving Tissaia's assurance did Lynn continue.

"The learned Lady Tissaia certainly knows better than I do about the 'Poviss Split' that occurred in Kaedwen back then."

"After that incident, the Tyssen family, who originally ruled Kaedwen, lost their power. Its members were forced to flee Kaedwen and seek refuge in the Marquisate of Talgar."

"For all these years, the current head of the Tyssen family, Istrad Tyssen, has been gathering allies and accumulating strength, all for the day he can launch a counterattack on Kaedwen."

Tissaia could scarcely believe her ears.

She stared, wide-eyed, at the witcher, who seemed utterly oblivious to what he was saying.

"You intend to do this? What did he offer you?"

"Should I lend him my aid when he launches his counterattack on Kaedwen, he will, afterward, cede a tract of land within Kaedwen for witchers to live on."

"Lynn, you dare openly defy the Neutrality Doctrine established by Alzur?"

Tissaia considered herself quite knowledgeable about the witcher profession.

After Alzur laid down the principle of neutrality for witchers, most of them, no matter how dire their circumstances, still managed to abide by it.

Only witchers from the School of the Cat and the School of the Viper had ever transgressed this neutral doctrine.

Tissaia had initially believed that Schools like the Cat and the Viper, by taking assassination contracts, were already defying the natural order.

She never expected Lynn to be even more audacious.

Tissaia had thought Lynn, at most, wanted to re-integrate the splintered witcher schools, to restore the Witcher Order…

He actually wanted to become a nobleman?!

Facing Tissaia's shocked expression, Lynn remained surprisingly calm.

With the aid of Aretuza, it wouldn't just be a matter of dissecting and optimizing the method for secondary mutations; even refining the formula for the Trial of the Grasses and increasing its survival rate wouldn't be impossible.

But witchers and Aretuza had always had no dealings with each other. Why would they help him for no reason?

That's where painting a picture of future benefits came in.

It was about emphasizing the returns Aretuza could expect after investing in him.

Isn't that how investment works?

Even if you have no value now, you must make the other party believe that you will have immense value in the future.

Besides.

Lynn wasn't entirely selling a pipe dream.

He knew what the future held and was well aware of the fate awaiting this high-ranking sorceress and her academy.

Putting everything else aside, even if he didn't change any history, letting reality unfold as it did in the story (though that was impossible), simply by reminding them twice before the Thanedd Coup and the Loc Muinne Summit, he could save them and Aretuza, which would be more than enough to justify Aretuza's assistance.

Moreover, he had no intention of doing nothing.

Just as he had agreed with Istrad Tyssen, he would certainly possess his own territory in Kaedwen in the future.

No matter how small or remote this territory might be, as long as it had inhabitants and villages, it could offer sanctuary to Aretuza.

This was arguably the sole advantage of feudalism.

If centralism was 'all under heaven is the king's land, all within the four seas are the king's subjects,' then feudalism was 'close the doors and mind your own business.' As long as you weren't openly rebelling against your liege, you could do whatever you pleased, and no one would interfere.

Of course, Lynn wasn't one of those people who mindlessly advocated for the fragmentation of European states. If he were merely a lord in Kaedwen, he would certainly favor a feudal system where local power outweighed central authority.

But if he were the emperor, he would undoubtedly champion centralism.

Once he became a lord in Kaedwen,

Aretuza could collectively relocate to Kaedwen, thus avoiding the fate of the original storyline.

"No need to be so surprised, Lady Tissaia."

"First, you must understand that our 'fathers' abandoned us. To bear children and not raise them is worse than not bearing them at all."

"Secondly, you know the witchers' predicament, don't you? Doing the hardest, most thankless work, for the most meager pay. Called upon when needed, then cast aside like lepers when not."

"Even so, witchers have tirelessly fought for centuries to protect humanity, reducing monsters to the point where 'people even believe witchers are no longer needed.'"

"The witcher collective, with great sacrifice and little reward, merely adheres to a doctrine set by the 'fathers' who abandoned them."

"Despite all this, many still consider witchers to be monsters, believing that since there are fewer monsters, witchers should disappear…"

"Lady Tissaia, I must ask you: witchers have always been so selfless; is it right for people to complacently enjoy their dedication, just because it's always been that way?"

Tissaia paused, stunned.

Of course, she knew how difficult the witchers' situation was.

Mercenaries, who also lived and died by the sword, were in a far better position than witchers.

Even the most impoverished mercenaries would never be openly insulted by unruly commoners.

As the saying goes, if you have no morals, you cannot be morally blackmailed.

These commoners knew better than anyone that the mercenary profession was not much better than that of a witcher.

However, mercenaries truly would draw steel and kill if provoked.

Furthermore, if a mercenary killed someone, the blame would fall solely on the murderer.

But if a witcher, after not receiving payment, was stabbed in the side with a pitchfork and did the same, the blame would be leveled against the entire witcher community.

It would deepen the prejudice, and even aversion, towards all witchers.

"Lynn, you must understand, there is no such thing as fairness in this world…"

"Yes, Lady Tissaia, I know. Crying won't bring freedom; fighting will earn respect. So, this is what I intend to do now."

Istrad, a rare benevolent king, was even more sagacious than Foltest.

Kaedwen's geographical location was also superior to that of Temeria, which was surrounded by enemies.

Therefore, for both the witchers' territory and Aretuza's new home, choosing Kaedwen was clearly the better decision.

"Lady Tissaia, please do not misunderstand my words just now as me wallowing in self-pity. That is certainly not the case."

"What I wish to convey is that times have changed."

"If witchers continue their old ways, unwilling to adapt, they will gradually fade away."

"And sorcerers today are also different from those of the past; they are all becoming addled by their greed for power."

"Sooner or later, sorcerers will bring about their own downfall through their actions."

"When that time comes, Aretuza, as the academy that trains sorceresses, will also be implicated."

....

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