Chapter 94

Geralt and Dandelion might still be struggling with whether or not to treat the knight Eike, but Wayne carried the incessantly cursing Yennefer all the way back into the green dragon's lair.

He casually placed the sorceress beside the still-burning fire, undid the dimeritium chains wrapped around her, and replaced them with a more comfortable binding method, so that this lady wouldn't suffer injury or difficulty breathing from being tied too tightly.

Only after he had completely locked the sorceress's thighs with the padlock and chain did he lift his head and formally meet the gaze of the now-quiet Yennefer.

Perhaps knowing that escape was hopeless and clearly understanding that the half-elf youth before her wouldn't truly harm her, Yennefer kept a cold face, glared fiercely into Wayne's eyes, and said, "Wayne, that's your name, right? I've heard Geralt mention you—the youngest of the Wolf School witchers, a half-elf."

"But do you know? You've provoked the wrong person, you've gotten into big trouble. Sorceresses are all very vengeful, and I am the pettiest one of them all."

"If you let me go now, I can still pretend that nothing happened."

"But if you continue to obstruct me, I will definitely make you regret it in the future."

The sorceress's voice was extremely fierce, seemingly filled with anger and threats.

However, Wayne seemed completely indifferent. He took a clean towel from the rack beside the fire and handed it to the sorceress, signaling for her to wipe away the dust and dirt on her face—the filth she had picked up when her face hit the ground while he was binding her.

Once Yennefer snatched the towel, Wayne said softly, "Lady Yennefer, I know your purpose for hunting the dragon is to restore your fertility and have a child; this must have been your long-held wish for many years."

"But do you think that even without my interference, you would have any chance of succeeding in this operation?"

He picked up a piece of roasted meat that had been kept warm on a plate beside the grill, skewered it with a wooden stick, and handed it to Yennefer, who had finished wiping her face.

The alluring aroma made the sorceress involuntarily twitch her nose, and a trace of surprise flashed in her eyes.

However, she didn't reach out to take the food, but instead stubbornly raised her head, snorted, and said, "I don't know where you got so much information; even Geralt doesn't know my purpose for dragon-slaying."

"However, the power of magic is not something you witchers, who only master parlor-trick-like Signs, can understand."

"As long as someone can create an opportunity for me and give me enough time to prepare a spell, even that golden dragon is no match for me."

"Magic is the most powerful force in this world, and the dragon race is nothing more than a group of strong, flying beasts."

Wayne agreed with the power of magic; although the spellcasters in the witcher world were mortal and severely countered by dimeritium, the magic they mastered was still extremely powerful.

Just like the future Battle of Sodden Hill, it only took a dozen or so sorceresses to summon a meteor shower that covered the entire battlefield, dealing heavy losses to the tens of thousands of elite Nilfgaardian troops from the south and crushing them into a rout.

The navigators of the Wild Hunt could even teleport an entire army directly, breaking the boundaries of worlds and sending them anywhere.

And as for beings like the Master of Mirrors, Higher Vampires, various gods and evil deities, and djinns, the powers they possessed almost transcended the scope of ordinary human understanding, reaching the level of certain laws of heaven and earth.

The reason many sorceresses seemed quite easy to deal with was that spellcasters had to make preparations in advance to release powerful magic, and they had to chant incantations, which took a considerable amount of time.

To put it colloquially, the casting time was too long, making it easy for others to interrupt them, and they were also easily silenced.

But this did not hinder the power of mages.

Seeing that Yennefer was still so stubborn, Wayne simply told her the truth, saying, "Yennefer, let me be blunt: you cannot complete this mission."

"That golden dragon is not an ordinary dragon, but a special dragon capable of using many spells and possessing shapeshifting abilities."

"Moreover, this golden dragon is a divine beast worshipped by a Zerrikanian tribe, and a group of Zerrikanian warriors is already lying in ambush in the forest not far away."

"Once the golden dragon encounters danger, they will rush out of the forest and kill everyone who might threaten the golden dragon."

"And with my help, that injured green dragon has also recovered quite a bit; she is not a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, but could have flown away from here long ago."

"The reason she is still staying here is that the golden dragon doesn't want to slink away in defeat, but is preparing to defeat everyone who wants to come and hunt his wife outside." Wayne looked into Yennefer's eyes and said earnestly, "Even without me obstructing you, you would either be defeated by the powerful golden dragon and end up severely injured or dead, or you would be hacked into pieces by those Zerrikanian warriors for harming the golden dragon."

"And to be honest, if it weren't for Geralt's sake, I wouldn't be treating you so politely."

"Or do you think you can handle a witcher equipped with a large amount of dimeritium?"

Perhaps it was his persuasion that had an effect; Yennefer's lips moved a few times, but she didn't speak to refute him, only staring blankly at the ground.

At this moment, perhaps influenced by the smell of the roasted meat on the plate, that little gray, fuzzy thing sniffed its nose and, moving its short legs, rushed out of the dragon's lair at high speed.

Upon seeing the plate of roasted meat beside Wayne, it wagged its tail excitedly, ran to Wayne's feet, and kept rubbing its little head against his thigh, trying to get fed through flattery.

Such an action also drew Yennefer's gaze.

Noticing Yennefer's gaze, Wayne smiled, picked up the little dragon hatchling, picked up the roasted meat, broke it into small pieces to feed her, and then looked at the cute little thing, saying:

"This little one is named Saskia, the child of that green dragon, born just yesterday."

"Because you want to have your own child, you want to kill the parents of another newborn child."

"Doesn't this seem too cruel to Saskia?"

"And have you thought about it, Yennefer? The idea of a sorceress restoring her fertility is not something only you have thought of; many sorceresses have tried."

"But for thousands of years, not a single one has succeeded."

"Destroying a life is very simple, but creating a life is perhaps something only a true god can accomplish."

Listening to Wayne's persuasion and looking at the cute little hatchling in his arms, Yennefer considered something for a few minutes before saying in a somewhat hoarse voice, "I really didn't expect, Wayne, that even though you're both witchers, that guy Geralt is like a block of wood, so clumsy with his words—he can neither say sweet things nor lie to deceive people."

"But you, little one, are just like that Dandelion, with a glib tongue."

"Heh, perhaps you shouldn't be a witcher, but a merchant or a bard; you might have a more promising future."

Hearing Yennefer's tone, which seemed to have improved, Wayne also smiled and said, "Perhaps. But I was taken to Kaer Morhen when I was a child, and becoming a witcher was my only choice, and I have never regretted that choice."

"I hope you can truly give up this operation, Yennefer. As for your wish, seeking help from other mortals will likely only lead to failure in the end."

"However, if we seek help from higher-order existences, what might be impossible for you to accomplish could be a mere trifle for those higher-order existences."

He looked at Yennefer, whose eyes were furrowed because of his words, thought for a moment, and said:

"Don't be anxious; I happen to know a legendary deity, the Lady of the Lake."

"When I next have an audience with this Lady, I will plead for your trouble to this kind deity."

"I hope she can help you fulfill this wish."

Yennefer was shaken upon hearing this, and a glimmer of hope emerged in her heart, which had been very disappointed. She looked at Wayne, bit her lip, and asked softly, "The legendary Lady of the Lake? I have seen records of her in many books."

"If you truly know that deity and can ask her to help me fulfill my wish..."

"Wayne, I will definitely repay you."

(End of chapter)