In the original timeline, the dissolution of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers wasn't solely due to conspiracies from the South.

The Northern Kings were equally unwilling to tolerate an independent organization that dictated to them.

Add to that the internal machinations and conflicting agendas within the Brotherhood itself.

Thus, the Thanedd Coup, which led to the Brotherhood's downfall in the original story, was actually the result of royal power from both the North and South, combined with the Brotherhood's own internal strife.

Following the Thanedd Coup, came the fall of Temeria and the witch hunts that swept across the entire North.

In this widespread witch hunt, the status of mages plummeted from being revered to being reviled, like rats in the street.

They were even worse off than witchers.

Before the events of The Witcher 3 game began, after Temeria fell, Margarita knew that without Foltest's protection, continuing to stay at Aretuza would eventually lead to the same fate as Kaer Morhen.

Perhaps even more tragic.

So she took her students and journeyed to Novigrad.

She had heard that Triss, who was hiding in Novigrad, was planning to lead a group of mages to Kaedwen.

At that time, Kaedwen was ruled by Tankred Tyssen, Istrad's son.

Tankred couldn't compare to his father in many ways, but he did inherit one of Istrad's virtues: his compassion.

When the entire North was engulfed in fervent witch hunts, only Kaedwen, under Tankred's rule, remained a sanctuary, willing to accept these mages whose reputations were akin to street vermin.

If Margarita and her students had truly managed to escape to Kaedwen, it wouldn't have been impossible to rebuild Aretuza there in the future.

However, instead of meeting Triss, they were captured by the Redanians.

If Margarita had been alone, she could have easily escaped.

But her students had no such chance.

Therefore, for the sake of her students, she chose to stay and surrender with them to the Redanians.

Then, the Redanians burned her students, one by one, leaving her for last.

In The Witcher 3, had it not been for Geralt, the most brilliant sorceress trained by Tissaia might have died a miserable death on the pyre.

As for Tissaia, her end came long, long before Margarita's.

"Yes, I believe I understand enough now."

Tissaia extended her hand. "Would it be too presumptuous if I said I'd like to visit your School of the Wolf's stronghold, Kaer Morhen, this winter?"

Their conversation had amply demonstrated Lynn's value as an ally.

If the Brotherhood of Sorcerers truly faced disaster in the future, fostering a good relationship with a future lord would at least provide a fallback.

Lynn smiled.

He knew he had convinced her.

He, too, extended his hand and shook Tissaia's.

"Of course not, Lady Tissaia. Your presence at Kaer Morhen would be our honor."

Thus, Lynn's villa gained another guest.

After Tissaia moved in, Lynn arranged for Regis and Dettlaff to stay at an inn for the time being.

This was to prevent Tissaia, a high-ranking sorceress, from discovering their true identities.

Higher vampires were different from non-human races.

Elves, dwarves, and gnomes were all considered non-humans.

And most less extreme humans didn't treat non-humans with prejudice.

But higher vampires were different.

No one would ever consider a higher vampire a non-human race.

They would only be seen as monsters.

Lynn wasn't sure what the high-ranking sorceress thought, but in any case, their days in Novigrad were numbered.

Why invite unnecessary complications?

By the next day, Yennefer still maintained a cool demeanor, but it was noticeably different from yesterday.

Clearly, Lynn's assist to Geralt had paid off.

Geralt gave Lynn a grateful thumbs-up when he saw him.

As the day of departure drew closer, Lynn had already decided on the people he would take with him.

First, Tissaia and Yennefer.

The task of deciphering and optimizing the method for secondary mutations rested entirely on the shoulders of these two high-ranking sorceresses.

It was impossible not to bring them along.

Then, Letho, Auckes, Serrit, and George.

Although Letho and the others belonged to the School of the Viper, and George was from the School of the Griffin.

Since Letho and his companions were now serving him, by extension, they were essentially serving the School of the Wolf.

They should also meet Eskel and Lambert.

And, incidentally, convince Eskel and Lambert to work for him.

No more braving the elements out there.

Compared to modern professions, being a witcher isn't even like being a foreign domestic worker.

It's straight-up illegal labor.

Only illegal laborers would wallow in garbage and filth, doing the dirty, back-breaking work that even the lowest of society wouldn't touch, all for the most meager pay.

Sometimes, they wouldn't even get paid at all.

Given all this, why bother enduring such hardship on the road?

As for the principle of protecting humanity…

Witchers have protected humanity for centuries.

Not only are humans ungrateful, but some even think, "Monsters don't exist anymore, what do we need witchers for?" So why protect them anymore?!

Therefore, the most important thing now is not to protect humanity, but to protect the witcher community itself.

Ensuring their own survival is paramount.

Otherwise, they will simply dwindle away, just as in the original storyline.

Finally, there were Kassia and the seven street children brought back from Horopell.

Lynn intended for the seven street children to become witchers and had already asked for their opinions.

Of course, Lynn knew that when people have no choice, they often can't make one.

Therefore, Lynn would give them another chance to choose after they completed their apprentice-level physical training.

At that point, if any of them were unwilling, Lynn would never force them.

Naturally, even if they didn't want to become witchers, there would still be a place for them in the future Lynn envisioned.

As for Kassia.

Lynn had already made a decision.

No matter how high the survival rate of the refined Trial of the Grasses became in the future, he would never let her become a witcher.

Just before their official departure, Triss also contacted him via a speaking tube.

She first expressed her regret about not being able to go to Kaer Morhen with Lynn for the winter.

Then, she informed Lynn that his previous conjecture was correct.

She and Margarita had spent several days consulting all the books in the Aretuza library.

They had indeed found a handwritten manuscript left by an elder sorcerer who had participated in the mutation experiments during the time of the Witcher Order.

The manuscript contained many records about the witcher mutation experiments.

One of them stated that if children with different physiologies underwent the Trial of the Grasses corresponding to their suitable school's style, the success rate could indeed increase by another ten or twenty percent.

People's constitutions are inherently different.

For instance, a slender but agile child would undoubtedly be suited for the School of the Cat; but a large, tall individual should certainly become a witcher of the School of the Bear.

Those who could subtly sense chaotic energy should be trained for the School of the Griffin, and so on.

When the Witcher Order was still unified, the number of witchers far exceeded what it is now.

Why?

Besides the Order recruiting not only through the Law of Surprise but also by taking in orphans as reserve recruits, offering children more diverse choices was also a reason.

With Alzur and Cosimo at the helm, a group of mages formed a research team, naturally allowing them to reasonably and scientifically assign different children to the most suitable schools.

This was unlike after the Order's fragmentation, where the schools had no contact with each other. If they managed to find a child through the Law of Surprise, they couldn't just abandon them if their physique wasn't suitable.

....

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