20demayo Chapter 68 Radovid's Letter
Chapter 68 Radovid's Letter
On the training field, several boys were practicing shield blocking and swordsmanship with veterans. Their movements were still a bit uncoordinated. When raising their shields, they would subconsciously shrug backward, and their sword swings were crooked. But it was clear that they were trying their best to imitate the soldiers on the field every time they swung their swords.
Ron walked through the courtyard to the laboratory, where Kayla had an open book, several rows of medicine bottles, and the large griffin egg in front of her.
She was placing a pale blue crystal next to the eggshell, observing the flow of cold light on its surface. Her research notes were spread out on the table, already half a page full, with each line marked with a date and number.
Ron didn't deliberately lower his pace when he pushed the door open, which startled Kayla. She pressed her hand to her chest and turned to glare at him.
"Could you please stop barging in like a bear!"
Kayla got up and walked towards him, jumped up and hooked her arm around Ron's neck, giving him a light peck on the lips. "This is compensation for startling me. We have important business to attend to later, so let's collect some interest first."
Kayla released her grip and landed on the ground, returning to the edge of the stage, resuming her languid tone, but with a smile in her eyes.
She pushed the open notebook in front of Ron. "A special enhancement potion, tailor-made for you. Your physique is far beyond the norm, so ordinary potions are basically ineffective against you. It needs to be combined with special ingredients to produce an effect."
She tapped her fingers lightly on her notebook. "We're currently adjusting the dosage, but let me make this clear beforehand: this medicine is very expensive, and I'm not sure if we can get some of the materials, so don't get your hopes up too high."
She looked up at him, a slight smile playing on her lips. "If you're reluctant to part with the money, just say so now."
"That's alright, keep going. I'll allocate the experimental costs separately."
Ron turned and walked toward the door. As he pushed the door open, he glanced back and saw Kayla picking up the crystal again and continuing the experiment that had been interrupted. The light cast a soft curve on her profile.
He walked out of the laboratory, closing the door very quietly.
A few days later, at Crow's Nest Market.
Ron and Erwin were walking together toward the main building, and as they passed through the commercial district, the roadside was already lined with stalls.
The road surface has been compacted and paved with stone slabs, so it is no longer muddy to walk on, and carts no longer sink into the mud. On the hillside, inside the watchtower, several stonemasons are squatting on the top of the tower building arrow emplacements, and the sound of hammers hitting the stone is crisp and powerful.
The architect is leading a team to survey the terrain in the outer fort area, and the first batch of logs has been sent to the loggers for preparation.
As Ron passed through the inner gate of the castle, he paused. A deformed figure was squatting by the wall, its limbs as thin as twigs, its head unusually large, and it was making muffled whimpering noises. No one paid it any attention; the people of Crow's Nest were used to it.
Ron remembered that the Baron had said he won it back playing cards in Novigrad, so he didn't linger and returned to the main hall, where Erwin was looking through the notes.
"The Nilfgaardian scout at the Crossroads Inn has been identified as someone planted by the Merchants' Guild. We are currently investigating his contacts and meeting places in Novigrad, but the intelligence network in Novigrad has just been established and needs time to develop, so we probably won't be able to get a response so soon."
"Okay, keep tracking it."
The windows of the Niubao Chess Club face the Pontal River, and the afternoon sun reflects off the water, giving the chess pieces a thin layer of gold.
Radovid sat before the chessboard, a captured black knight twirling between his fingers. The ruler of Redania tapped the knight's pedestal twice.
Then place it to the side and line it up with the other pieces, the bishop, the castle, the knight, each in its proper place.
The clerk strode in and whispered in his ear. Radovid did not turn his head, but simply spread the briefing he was holding on the edge of the chessboard. The briefing listed three messages.
Southeast of Velen, a Nilfgaardian reconnaissance squad has gone missing, along with half of the wing decorations on a Nilfgaardian knight's helmet, which had been broken off by brute force.
The final report from the Blue-Clad Iron Guard insider indicated that Vernon Roche had discovered and dealt with the lead, but before that, intelligence from the informant had already been relayed back.
His lieutenant, Weiss, was rescued by Ron in Velen, at the same location where the Nilfgaardian squad disappeared. Weiss herself is still training new recruits at Calradic Manor.
The last piece of news is that after the Nilfgaardian Merchants' Guild's agent in Velen went missing, they sent spies to infiltrate Raven's Nest. The agent's disappearance is suspected to be related to the new lord of Raven's Nest.
The clerk lowered his voice: "Your Majesty, should we hand over the evidence to the Merchants' Guild? They are looking for a legitimate reason to take action against Raven's Nest."
Radovid held the wing fragment up to the sunlight; the broken edges were rough, and the tear was still fresh.
"No need," he said, placing the fragment on the edge of the chessboard.
"The ambition of a man who raises an army in the swamp, uproots the guild trade lines, and secretly colludes with the Blue Iron Guard is beyond the capacity of Velen's swamp to contain."
Ambitious people are the easiest to manipulate; let them know what we can cut off, what they need.
Radovid picked up a white knight from the chessboard and placed it in the center.
"If I hand over the evidence, the Merchants' Guild will naturally eliminate this warlord for me, but Velen will still belong to them, which is not in my interest."
"As long as the evidence is still in my hands, it's an untight noose for that warlord. I need someone to keep an eye on the Nilfgaardians for me." He pushed the knight forward a step.
"His Majesty intends to turn him into a pawn."
"He's already a pawn on this chessboard. The only difference is whether the Merchants' Guild will devour him or let him make the next move for me."
The clerk hesitated for a moment. "What if he refuses?"
"He won't refuse," Radovid said, moving the bishop to the opposite side of the knight.
"He needs food to maintain his army and support its expansion. Redania is the largest grain producer in the north. If a food embargo is imposed, his army will remain at its current size, and he doesn't want that to happen."
He paused, tapping his finger lightly on a chess piece. "If he refuses, next time it won't be as simple as just writing a letter."
"This letter was delivered to Wellen and handed to him personally."
As the sound of the messenger's hooves faded away, Radovid raised his wine glass, paused at his lips, and appreciated the situation. The cost was extremely low, and although the returns were uncertain, he was not at a loss in any case.
If Ron agrees, he'll have another dog that doesn't cost him anything; if Ron refuses, he won't mind discarding that piece. As for the witch, she's no longer important compared to Velen's overall strategy.
When the letter arrived at Raven's Nest, Ron was reviewing the project progress report. Erwin opened the letter, carefully examined its contents, adjusted his glasses, and remained silent for a moment.
"Nian," Ron said.
Erwin read it aloud word by word. Ron listened without speaking immediately. He stood up, walked to the window, remained silent for a while, and then turned to look at Erwin.
"He didn't hand over the evidence to the Merchants' Guild because if he did, he would be out of options," Elwin said.
"He just wants us to know he has this card. Whether we use it or not is up to us. He wants a pawn, not Willen under enemy control."
"He chose this time because he knew we were expanding our military," Ron said.
"Food is key. Redania is a major agricultural country. Our reserves can only support our current army, but if we want to continue expanding, they will have us by the throat."
These two pieces of leverage would be more dangerous if they fell into the hands of the Merchants' Guild than if they were in his possession. The Merchants' Guild doesn't need to weigh political gains; they only need a legitimate reason.
"He's telling us that as long as we're his pawns, we're safe for now," Erwin said, placing the letter back on the table.
Ron walked back to the table. "Tell him the letter has been received."
"That's all?"
"I would also like to add that I appreciate His Majesty's concern."
Erwin paused, realizing Ron's meaning: neither agree nor refuse, neither provoke nor anger.
Don't give anything that can be interpreted as a promise; just let the other party know that you've received the signal. The rest can be discussed later.