Chương 66: Uncovering.
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Nodding as she recognized who they were, Ciri then asked, "So, what are we going to do with them? Should we confront them directly?"
"No. We don't confront them. Instead, we do nothing."
Stunned, Ciri almost tripped and fell on the stairs. After Moiraine helped her regain her balance, Ciri was puzzled by the decision not to apprehend the spies, especially given the need to address the mole among them. Confused and questioning if something was wrong with her, she soon received an answer.
Seeing her eyes suddenly filled with color due to Moiraine's spell, she realized there were not just four individuals in orange but hundreds, each from different parts of the world—Povis, Kovir, Verden, Cidaris, Brugge, Nazair, Skellige itself, and even her own country, Cintra. She also noticed that not only people from the Continent had become spies; individuals from all over the world, like Kislevites, were also present on the island.
Ciri became even more confused about why Moiraine or Rita had allowed this in the first place, as it seemed better to close off the island if so many were snooping around in the archipelago. After reflecting for a bit and reconsidering her black-and-white view of the world, Ciri realized that not all of them would necessarily become enemies due to various factors. The individuals shown by Moiraine were those most likely to become enemies of Undvik, as their intent clearly indicated that they were most concerned about Yoriichi's actions.
First, because the phantom, like the Nilfgaardians, probably needed the Sa'angreal's power to stabilize their country, it made sense to manipulate the person who owns the Sa'angreal and the one who supervises it. In simpler terms, this meant nudging Yoriichi and Margarita into becoming enemies with the proxies of the previous rector of Aretuza.
Second, like Redenia, they have a close connection with Yoriichi, understanding his character clearly—particularly his tendency to become a beast whenever he encounters demons. This raises a significant dilemma: if his impulsiveness were to affect one of the country's nobility, it could create unrest. By the end of the day, if Dijkstra could no longer control the situation, all hell could break loose, potentially leading to war due to a misunderstanding between the two parties, as ordinary folk don't have Yoriichi's observance judgment.
Third, for political reasons that are likely to become more prominent over time, Yoriichi, as one of the owners of the Sa'angreal, will eventually be able to influence how the world operates. In this case, the Aen Saevherne, who are driven to purge humanity but lack the strength to do so, are particularly concerned. This concern is heightened by the knowledge that one of their Heralds could decapitate them at supersonic speed.
As for why they don't simply sever this relationship, Ciri, after thinking hard, finally found a reason. These enemies could also become their allies if they play their cards right—an ally who could help them build a better future, thereby alleviating their burden of fixing society and achieving stability. This is especially true considering that most of the Heralds agree with Yoriichi's dream of creating an academia that is fully open to the world.
"Hmm… It seems this will be faster than I thought. Now tell me why we did nothing?"
Reorganizing her thoughts with the new reasons she had just considered, Ciri answered, "We do nothing because it is in our interest not to frighten them into a panic. As we discussed earlier, fear only breeds a more cunning enemy. A cunning enemy is much harder to deal with than a content enemy who believes we are not a threat to their survival. Additionally, since we know everything about them but they know nothing about us, we can conduct counter-espionage easily and efficiently, as they are within our reach."
Pausing, she then continued, "Not only that, but it is better to form an alliance through these spies by revealing that we have known about them all along when the time is right. This will make them reconsider their rude actions, realizing that we could take action against them but have chosen not to. As a result, they may change their approach and transform from spies into ambassadors, facilitating the exchange of information between our parties without fear of stepping on landmines."
"However, letting them go like that also means they must adhere to our alignment rules, which state that a certain limit of sins will not be tolerated. If they do not follow these rules, they will be swiftly dealt with by Yoriichi, regardless of how well they hide their transgressions, and without any warning. In return, if they become our allies by following these rules, it will ease our burden in fixing society and ushering in a better era. The more hands there are to work together, the easier and more harmonious it will become. More friends mean more joy, while more enemies mean endless worry."
Swallowing after speaking so much, Ciri continued to explain their motives, as she had just pondered earlier: how the Nilfgaardians needed power, Redenia was concerned about Yoriichi's beastly instincts, and the resurrected Aen Saevherne had their own political reasons.
Smiling gently and rubbing Ciri's head with a touch of pride at seeing her succeed in her teaching, Moiraine said, "Congratulations, you've uncovered their motives. You've also discovered mine and Rita's reasons for allowing them to be here in the first place."
Feeling the comforting hand in a way reminiscent of Yennefer's touches after lectures in the Temple of Melitele years ago, Ciri sighed, unsure how to react. She clearly enjoyed the head pat filled with genuine praise rather than mockery. Internally cursing how Moiraine managed to find the perfect balance between challenging her perspective and offering respite with a touch of accomplishment, Ciri then refocused her thoughts on the last spy they had not yet discussed.
"Then what about the last one? The one from The Empire. Do you know anything about him?"
"Do you remember your meeting with your biological mother four hours ago?"
Recalling how she met Peveta and Calanthe in the Cognitive Realm, thanks to Geralt and his friends' efforts to bring them to safety—an act prompted by Yennefer's thoughtful action after seeing her daughter head over heels for Yoriichi, so much so that her thoughts were consumed by him, to the point of forgetting her family who had a chance of resurrection, which also caused annoyance and frustration among them—Ciri replied.
"Yes. Mama and Grandmama came to the Cognitive Realm after Geralt and his friends found them. At that time, you also told Geralt to form a demon-slayer corps or something with me as their leader. So, is there a connection to that?"
"Yes, there are connections. Do you remember where your biological mother, Peveta, and grandmother, Calanthe, were found?"
"Yen told me that after her divination, she found them in Kaedwen. Is this related to the Otherworlders?"
"Huh, that's a nice name for us. Anyway, yes, it does have something to do with the Otherworlders there. Specifically, the one who fixed the society and became the new ruler of Kaedwen. Her name is Elspeth von Draken, and the symbols on her new country's flag very much resemble the crest worn by the spy. Here, see Geralt's drawing."
Gazing at the scribbled crest that had just been sent from Geralt using the Ien System, which was authorized by Margarita and Ember, who had already returned to Kaedwen to search for Vesemir, Ciri asked in confusion, "But I don't see why this is a problem. I mean, there are thirty people like that spy here from different Otherworlder countries, and not a single one of them is tagged as a potential enemy or ally by you."
"That's because I just received news from Yennefer while casting a color scheme spell. She mentioned that after meeting the queen, she felt as if she were meeting Nenio, who was obsessively fixated on the database. Yennefer believes that Elspeth has similar traits to Nenio but is more unruly and would do anything to become a contributor to the Sa'angreal. That's why I tagged the spy."
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