บท 209: Failed Assassination
Upon hearing the blonde girl's words, the melancholic dark-haired girl lifted her head and looked at her anxious sister. A flicker of jealousy crossed her eyes, quickly replaced by sisterly affection.
"No, Anna, it's not a rumor."
"I overheard Father discussing it with his courtiers. They're going to banish me in three days. From Beauclair, from Toussaint, never to return."
"I haven't done anything wrong; I'm the victim. Why am I being blamed and forced to leave my home?"
Syanna's heart ached as she spoke. Unlike her sister, Anna Henrietta, who had been loved by everyone since childhood, Syanna had carried the Curse of the Black Sun from birth. Considered an unlucky omen by many in the palace, she had endured strange looks and whispers since she was a child.
Even her once-loving parents had been influenced by these rumors, their attitudes gradually changing until they, too, saw her as a curse.
But was it her fault? Could she control the day she was born or the curse she bore?
Wayne sat nearby, observing the two sisters embrace and weep. They were both underage, and despite their noble birth, they couldn't control their own fate, forced to silently accept their parents' decisions.
Knowing Syanna would be expelled in three days was valuable information. Since Toussaint didn't want her, Wayne could reluctantly take in this useful tool.
Judging by her future actions, she was capable of rising from a banished girl to leading a band of thieves, causing chaos in a country, and even outsmarting a high vampire. She was clearly more capable than most.
Perhaps ambition and desire burned within her, but faced with absolute power and oppression, she could certainly be molded and guided.
Wayne rummaged through his spatial bracelet and found a low-level spell scroll.
It was a third-level spell scroll from the world of Faerûn. Its function was to mark a target and then locate them through the mark, lasting for one month and covering a range of about a hundred kilometers. It was one of the gifts left in the spatial bracelet by the legendary mage, Tesla, and now it would prove useful.
Hidden by the invisibility cloak, Wayne picked up the scroll, faced Syanna, and placed a mark on her. He planned to wait until three days later, after the duchess's daughter was expelled from the palace, to find her again.
He remembered that Syanna would suffer abuse from the escorting knights during her journey. If he happened to rescue her then, he could earn her favor and potentially gain control over her.
With this in mind, Wayne glanced at the two ducal daughters, still sharing their grievances. He sighed inwardly and left the back garden to continue his search for the court mage, Artorian's, residence.
Beauclair Palace was vast. After searching for a long time without success, he spotted a seemingly drunk servant sitting in a corner, lost in his own world. Wayne approached him and, through the invisibility cloak, cast the Axii Sign.
It went smoothly. The servant's drunken state, coupled with the hypnotic effect of Axii, allowed Wayne to quickly extract a wealth of information, including the location of Artorian's residence and the place where Fringilla Vigo, the sorceress who had come to visit her uncle, was currently staying.
After obtaining the information he needed, Wayne made his way towards Artorian's residence.
He couldn't help but reflect on the abilities of this illusionist, also a member of the Vigo family.
As a male sorcerer, Artorian wasn't known for his combat prowess. His strengths lay in research, magical knowledge, and crafting magical items.
He was the sorceress Fringilla Vigo's magic tutor. One of his most renowned creations in the original story was the fairy tale world he crafted for the young ducal daughters, Anna Henrietta and Syanna.
Using a single book, he'd created a magical world the size of a city, complete with various magical creatures and a self-sustaining ecosystem. It was truly a marvel.
However, maintaining such a world required vast amounts of materials and time. It seemed that, due to neglect, this fairy tale world book had begun to deteriorate.
Still, this alone demonstrated the potential of magic in the witcher world.
With the correct address, Wayne quickly found Artorian's residence.
However, he wouldn't rush into a stranger's home, especially that of a mage. There was no telling what traps these spellcasters might have set up to protect their secrets.
Even with his Elder Blood, which could help him overcome most obstacles, triggering a trap would undoubtedly alert Artorius and cause unnecessary complications.
Unfortunately, while the legendary mage Tesla had left a rich collection of items in the spatial bracelet, he specialized in offensive spells and hadn't included any surveillance or investigation scrolls.
Left with no other choice, Wayne resorted to the most primitive tactic: waiting and observing.
Based on Letho's speculation, considering the time needed for gathering information and reporting on the target, the Cat School witcher's assassination attempt should occur within the next few days.
Wayne also realized that the original story didn't mention whether Artorius assassination was successful or not. No such news appeared in any related material.
So, Wayne waited outside Artorian's house all night, scouting out several suitable vantage points, but found nothing unusual.
During his stakeout, he caught a glimpse of the court mage – a man in his forties or fifties. His hair and beard were still brown, and he seemed quite energetic.
Wayne believed that if Artorian survived this assassination attempt, he would likely live for many more years.
After staying up all night, Wayne returned to the Red Rose Inn at dawn. Still disguised as a tobacco merchant, he visited some high-end salons and parties, played a few games of Gwent with wealthy individuals, gaining Gwent experience and promoting his tobacco.
Letho and his companions didn't return from their mission that day. After all, the real world was different from a game. There was no fast travel, and combat wasn't as straightforward, requiring extensive preparation.
Such commissions often involved multiple inquiries and couldn't be completed in a single day.
Moreover, Wayne planned to visit the Valley of the Nine to search for the submerged ruins there, after dealing with the Cat School assassin and Syanna's matter in two days. The clues and methods for the witchers' second mutation awaited him.
This matter was crucial for enhancing the strength of all existing witchers.
Although Geralt had successfully undergone a second mutation in the original game, that was the protagonist, and it was still twenty years in the future.
Before seeing concrete evidence, Wayne couldn't be certain whether all witchers could meet the requirements for a second mutation. Perhaps one needed Geralt's level of talent and strength, along with three successful mutagen transplantations, to qualify.
However, while Wayne had doubts, he wasn't overly worried. Even if there were obstacles to the second mutation, he had close ties to many sorceresses. With their help, he could overcome any difficulties.
After a busy day, Wayne returned to the mage's residence at night, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Cat School witcher, but again, he found nothing.
He wished he had acquired the Scrying Orb from the League of Legends world, allowing him to delegate such tedious tasks to an object.
On the third night, the eve of Syanna's expulsion, Wayne's wait finally ended. However, the outcome was somewhat disappointing.
Hidden in his invisibility cloak, he watched from a concealed vantage point as a slender figure in black climbed over the palace wall with remarkable agility and stealth. The Cat School witcher easily bypassed the guards and lay in ambush for the court mage, Artorian, along his daily route home.
Using the shadows for cover, the witcher was nearly invisible.
Unfortunately, he had underestimated an experienced warlock and lacked any magic-blocking tools.
Although he moved swiftly, his sword almost struck Artorian before the mage could react.
But in an instant, Artorian vanished, leaving only a red amulet inscribed with magic runes in his place.
Wayne recognized this ability, akin to a decoy doll. He'd seen it in the game, where Syanna, wearing a red ribbon, could even evade attacks from higher vampires. It was clear that Artorian was the inventor and had equipped himself with such a magical item.
The court mage, having narrowly escaped, immediately summoned the guards. Surrounded by them, he used various magical items and weapons to try and capture the assassin.
However, within minutes, when they returned to the scene of the assassination attempt, everything was calm.
The assassin in black had vanished without a trace.
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