The Gambling Table of Fate

After listening to the Old Duke's explanation of the source and speculation regarding the fate of Henry Gedimidis, Ianna glanced at Ailin again without offering any further comment.

"What does Gedymar think?" she changed the subject. "And what about the nobles?"

"The king and the nobles of Vizima both agreed to make peace."

"Gedymar is so decisive?" Ianna exclaimed in surprise. "He didn't even spend a few more days thinking it over, just letting those warlocks wait and see? This doesn't seem like something he would do."

The Old Duke's expression turned grim.

He scoffed, "The request that Senne made to the kings was a different version."

"Senne's exact words were: If the war between Kedwen and Ard continues, the severely damaged Ban Ad will have to consider relocating the college..."

"He even dares to threaten the kings!" Ianna exclaimed in surprise.

Henry Gedimidis drove the Wild Hunt away from Ben Ard, so logically, if the Wild Hunt were to return in the future, it would most likely seek revenge against Ben Ard.

But if the Wizarding Academy is moved, how will the Wild Hunt vent its anger after losing its target?

"He certainly dares to threaten," the Old Duke said, "And if you put the peace war and the threat of the Wild Hunt on opposite ends of the scale, the threat of the Wild Hunt will definitely be much heavier, many times heavier."

Gors Velen Arland: one is a wealthy port for trading bulk commodities, and the other is a top contributor to Temeria's domestic tax revenue.

Aside from the Old Duke and other Arlanders, the King of Temeria must be the one who understands the threat of the Wild Hunt best.

Moreover, the peace war would have harmed Ard's interests, and it had no connection with Temeria, which was part of Oren.

Why not agree?

"What are your thoughts? Does the temple support peace talks?" the Old Duke asked.

How effective Gedymar's agreement to mediate peace will be for the bloodthirsty Ard is still unknown. It's just one piece of the puzzle that Ban Ade needs. It still needs the kings of other countries in the Northern Continent to piece it together before it can be effective.

But the influence of the attitude of the Temple of Melitele is quite different.

Whether commoner, soldier, merchant, nobleman, or king, everyone has a wife and mother.

The status of female believers in the Meritellie Cult is unparalleled.

Let me put it this way...

At least 80% of the women in the Northern Continent are followers of Meritellie.

Moreover, even among men, especially civilians and soldiers, there are many followers of Meritellie, as the temple trains physicians and herbalists throughout the Northern Continent.

therefore.

Ianna's influence on the war between Kedwen and Ard alone was equivalent to the combined attitudes of all the kings of the Northern Continent.

"The temple has never interfered in politics or wars, but..." Ianna hesitated, frowning and pursing her lips before continuing, "But the Wild Hunt poses too great a threat. At this time, internal strife would be far too dangerous for Meritellie's children..."

The Old Duke nodded slightly.

He also leaned towards reconciliation, or rather, no one from Arlanders had personally experienced the May Festival calamity did not want revenge.

Although he had always admired Ailin, he was also deeply afraid that Ianna might make the wrong judgment due to her bias.

fortunately.

Ianna always puts the bigger picture first.

The Old Duke had just breathed a sigh of relief when he suddenly noticed Ianna looking at Ailin, who was looking down and seemingly deep in thought. He knew something was wrong.

"Ailin, what do you think?" she changed the subject and asked softly, "Do you think the temple should get involved in the war between Kedwen and Ard?"

"Ah?"

Ailin looked up blankly, pointing to himself with his index finger. "Ask me?"

"That's right." Ianna smiled and nodded.

"This is a matter for the temple. It's not appropriate for me, a witcher from the School of the Wolf, to do this," Ailin said, pausing for a moment before declining.

"What are you thinking about? What's appropriate or inappropriate?" Ianna chuckled. "I'm not asking you to make a decision, I'm just asking you to share your thoughts."

"How?"

"We've been healing you for seven whole days, and Lyra has been by your side the whole time. Now you won't even share a single piece of advice?"

"Of course not!" Ailin smiled wryly.

With Ianna having taken away all his escape routes, he would seem to become an ungrateful person if he didn't say something.

He paused for a moment, organizing his thoughts.

Under the Old Duke's complicated gaze, he said softly, "Actually, whether or not the temple should participate in reconciliation is not the key issue."

"Then what is the key?" Ianna pressed.

The Old Duke and Lyra also looked at him curiously.

Ailin took a deep breath and said solemnly, "The key question is, even if the war between Ard and Kedwen ends, can the wizarding academy under Senne's leadership really stop the Wild Hunt?"

Upon hearing the question, the Old Duke immediately frowned and gripped his cane tightly.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Duke Mason just said that it was Hen Gedimidis who released forbidden magic to drive away the Wild Hunt."

"That's right." The Old Duke nodded.

Ailin continued, "I don't know how strong Senne and his Radical Faction are, but since Henry Gedmidis had to go into seclusion to heal and recuperate before the Wild Hunt attacked, even though most of the Ban Aard wizards were unharmed, he still managed to drive away the Wild Hunt."

"Now, with Duke Mason stating that 'Hen Gedimidis is dead,' and with Ban Ad suffering heavy casualties in the Wild Hunt's attack, and the possibility of a fierce factional struggle erupting within the Academy due to the actions of Senne's faction..."

"How could Ban Ade become the shield of the Northern Continent?"

The night wind swept across the divinely bestowed avenue, through the vast darkness and the narrow candlelight, emitting a faint yet piercing murmur.

"So what, Ailin?"

After a moment of silence, the Old Duke frowned and said, "Even if Ban Ade is weak now, he can still be relied upon as a shield for the nations."

"Because the Wild Hunt flies through the air, no one can rival it except for the Warlock..."

"Please forgive my bluntness, Ailin," he said, meeting Ailin's eyes. "You are the most powerful and intelligent witcher I have ever met."

"You kill spirits that mortals would avoid with the ease I have when hunting harmless hares..."

"Greater Griffin, King of Ice, Cyclops, Serpent-tailed Woman, Giant Ghoul... You've only just become a Witcher, and so many large monsters have already become your achievements and glory..."

"Even you, Ailin, could only hastily flee when the Wild Hunt's iron hooves trampled over the Gors Velen and the skies above Arland."

Ianna and Nannick exchanged a quick glance, but said nothing.

"If we agree to Senne's request, we might still get a rusty shield, but if we don't, Ban Ad will immediately fall apart, and nobody knows who those beasts will target next."

"The fear of the unknown will only bring more trouble and plunge the country into chaos, but Senne can buy us time to solve the problem."

"As long as we agree to his terms, even if the other factions of wizards leave or flee, at least the largest and most powerful faction of Ban Ade will stay."

"We will bind them with ancient contracts, forcing them to become our shield and buy us time."

"Henry Gedimidis is dead. It is always better to have a shield than to be naked in the face of a gleaming sword."

The Old Duke's voice was old and hoarse, yet strong and resonant.

But Ailin could sense the bitter despair and helplessness within it.

He took a deep breath, exchanged a glance with Ianna, and said softly, "What if Henry Gedimidis hadn't died?"

"What's the meaning?"

The Old Duke's eyebrows looked like a damp, rough burlap that had been wrung out tightly, full of wrinkles.

"Didn't you hear what I just said? Nearly twenty male wizards disappeared overnight, and the Senne faction is being evasive about it and won't let other male wizards see where Henry Gedmiddis is in seclusion. There must have been a conflict. Even if Henry Gedmiddis wasn't killed, he must have been seriously injured."

Of the four people standing here, three of them got their information from him. What makes Ailin think he can conclude that "Hen Gedimidis is not dead"?

To be honest, he was already getting a little impatient.

If it weren't for my consistently good impression of Ailin, Ailin had only traveled a long way for the sake of Arland, and even went out at night to investigate the situation of the ghouls as soon as he arrived, which led to him accidentally slipping and falling off a cliff and getting injured...

He had long ago silenced the boy who was favored by Ianna, lest it affect the position of the Temple of Melitele.

It's really strange, why is Ianna so special to Ailin!

"I'm not against reconciliation," Ailin said. "I also think reconciliation should be promoted, but when and how to promote it should not be decided so hastily."

"This should be a bargaining chip that can play a bigger role."

"A more powerful bargaining chip..." the Old Duke murmured, raising an eyebrow. "Go on..."

"First of all, the existence of Hen Gedimidis is worth more than an entire academy, not just because of his strength. In other words, if Hen Gedimidis were gone, unless the other four members of the Talent and Skill Association replaced him, the current Ban Ad would eventually fall apart."

"But Henry Gedimidis..."

"I know," Ailin interrupted, "Hen Gedimidis is very likely dead, but it's also possible he's still alive. He's the most powerful source of magic in the world, how could he go into seclusion without any preparation?"

"As for the nearly twenty male witches who suddenly disappeared..."

Ailin knew where they went, and most of them became his "memories" and "treasure chests".

"I don't know how they disappeared," he shook his head calmly, ignoring the strange looks on his face, "But the strongest man on the Northern Continent, Hen Gedimidis, who once repelled the Wild Hunt, plus the more complete Ban Ade Academy, I think it's worth a gamble."

The Old Duke lowered his head and pondered for a few seconds.

The mountain wind blows from the Mahakam Mountains, its sound mournful.

"How do you want to bet?" the Old Duke asked calmly.

Ailin said, "Since Senne says that Hen Gedimidis is in seclusion to heal his injuries, then we should use the price of reconciliation to force them to show themselves, whether he is alive or dead, and to make Hen Henn Gedimidis appear in the presence of the other factions of Ban Ade."

"Otherwise, once the kings of the Northern Continent and Ianna agree to Senne's demands and endorse his actions in Ban Ade, and the situation truly stabilizes..."

"People who might have lived will actually die."

The Old Duke remained silent for a few more seconds.

"It could easily lead to total ruin." He said expressionlessly. "If Henry Gedimidis has already been killed by Senne, the coercion from the king and nobles could cause a full-blown factional struggle in Ben Ade, and in the bloodiest way possible."

"Even if Henry Gedimidis hadn't died, it's very likely that the Senne faction would have killed him out of desperation."

"That's how gambling is; there are winners and losers." Ailin sighed. "But isn't it worth the risk for the strongest power in the Northern Continent, the most influential in the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, and a veteran who has even directly repelled the Wild Hunt?"

"Besides..."

He looked directly into the Old Duke's aged eyes:

"Direct coercion is just a crude method I came up with on the spot. I think the king and nobles' advisors must have a way to minimize the risks."

The Old Duke stared into Ailin's eyes, and Ailin did not back down.

for a long time.

The Old Duke took a deep breath and shook his head with a sigh of relief, "I never knew my knight was such a crazy gambler."

"Every Witcher is a born gambler, Mason."

Ailin smiled and said, "In every battle, we're gambling with our lives at the table of fate."

Upon hearing this, the Old Duke looked at Ailin's face, which was even more youthful than his youngest daughter's, and remained silent for a long time.

until...

"Have you two forgotten about us?"

Ianna broke the silence in front of the statue of Meritellie with a smile.

"Don't forget, at this gambling table, we are the gamblers with the most capital."

She ruffled Ailin's hair vigorously. The gentle warmth of her palms massaged her scalp, which felt very comfortable.

She was then shooed away by Nannick with two light coughs, and then suddenly gave Ailin a warm hug with pity in her eyes, leaving him somewhat at a loss.

"The gamblers with the most capital have all taken their seats, so it seems I have no other choice," the Old Duke smiled helplessly. "Unfortunately, my word doesn't count in this matter."

"But..."

He looked at Ailin and solemnly promised, "However, I will convey your idea to His Majesty King Gedymar of Temeria as quickly as possible. As for whether the kings and nobles of other countries are willing to gamble, that is beyond my control."

"It's alright!" Ailin shook his head.

The Old Duke's tone suggested he could persuade the king of Temeria.

If even Temeria, the most powerful nation in the entire Northern Continent, approves of his idea, most other countries will likely follow suit.

"Alright," the Old Duke pulled his cane out of the dirt. "It's getting late, and Ailin is still injured, so I won't stay any longer."

He finished speaking.

The Old Duke turned and walked toward the carriage.

Just then, Ailin suddenly remembered what he had to do tomorrow and quickly asked, "Duke Mason, do you know where Vesemir and the others are tomorrow?"

The Old Duke turned around. "Aren't you going to rest a bit more?"

"No, I'm fully recovered."

The Old Duke nodded, and without much thought, blurted out, "You can go directly to Moin Village, three kilometers south of Arland, tomorrow. Master Vesemir seems to be having some difficulties."

"Difficulty?"

"I'm not entirely clear on the specifics," the Old Duke shook his head, "But Arthur and Sala both went there yesterday."

"I see."

The Old Duke glanced at Ailin, and seeing that he had no further questions, turned and slowly walked towards the carriage.

Just as they stepped out of the gates of the Temple of Melitele, the Old Duke suddenly stopped.

"What a huge gamble!"

He looked at the scattered lights flickering below the mountain and sighed softly.