System of the Beast Slayer [litrpg Adventure]
Copyright© 1999 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 208
A bright crescent moon rose into the sky, scattering fine shards of moonlight.
That moonlight, like grains of fallen stars, adorned the mist-veiled gown of night along the shores of Lake Vizima.
The evening wind swept across the water, carrying damp, chilly vapor through the palace at the lake’s heart. The Witcher drew his shoulders in slightly, as though the cold had begun to bite.
“Lady of the Lake, I come from Brokilon, bearing Lady Hyna’s greetings. It has been months since we last met, and yet your splendor surpasses even what it was before.” Roy bowed at the waist, his gaze passing over the sweet, lovely face upon the throne, his thoughts somewhat tangled.
What exactly was he to the Lake Lady?
If she was his superior and he her subordinate, then in truth he felt little real reverence toward her.
If they were friends, then her ever-present warmth and seduction made him instinctively keep his distance. If it was something more ambiguous, then even with all his pride, he would never presume that this Lady of the Lake, passionate by nature, had singled him out for special affection. That would be fantasy.
And yet there was no doubt that some bond existed between them, with the Virtue mutation as its link, and mutual interest woven into it as well.
The Lake Lady had granted the Witcher a divine weapon and all manner of conveniences. His return gift was to safeguard her.
Like now.
“Hyna ... I have not seen her in two hundred years.” The woman at the center of the palace fell silent for a moment, recalling the past. “I have received her greeting ... and the warrior beside you, is he Letho of the Viper School?”
“He is. My teacher.”
“There is no need for stiffness...” The lady of the lake smiled at the bald Letho, and in that instant the night sky itself seemed to brighten with stars. “When Dagon was defeated last time, I owed much to your aid from the side. Has the Ring of Holding served you well?”
“It has served me well indeed. Thank you for your generous gift, Lady of the Lake.” Letho placed a hand to his chest and bowed to her, calm and composed.
“Then tell me, Roy, what wind has blown you here tonight? Surely not for a greeting alone?”
“Your favor has left me ashamed. Since receiving the Lady of the Lake’s Sword from your hand, I have not spread your radiance as promised. Compared with that, Princess Adda’s contributions put me to shame.”
The Lake Lady, reclining upon her throne, gave a soft laugh. “There is no need for humility. Adda, as gifted a High Priestess as she is, came to me because of your suggestion as well.”
“I had thought you would refuse.” Roy voiced the doubt that had long sat in his heart. “If you had meant to establish a Church, you could have gathered the fishermen along the shore and the vodyanoi long ago...”
“Before Dagon threatened me, I was like a naive little girl ... relying on the inborn magic gifted by the lake, I lived for a very long time without worry.” Vivienne’s soft, sweet voice echoed faintly through the palace at the lake’s center as she spoke with disarming frankness. “Only later did I understand how fragile and ridiculous I truly was. I possessed abundant power, yet could not even drive off a stinking vermin from another plane.”
“If all the people of Lake Vizima worshipped me, then without any need for your intervention, my faithful alone could have clipped Dagon’s wings clean away.”
“I ought to thank that vermin as well. It reminded me of something, how could I allow outsiders to thrust themselves into the place where I sleep?” Vivienne pressed her full lips together, and her tone turned cold. At once the waters of Lake Vizima rippled restlessly, and a wind heavy with moisture swept over the lake. The temperature dropped several degrees in a breath.
“It is time for change. There must never be a second invader in the lake district.”
Roy said nothing. As expected, Dagon had changed the Lady of the Lake’s thinking.
But that change was undoubtedly to his benefit. He stood in the Lady of the Lake’s camp. If her power flourished, then his own plans, and his desire to rebuild the School, would profit from it as well.
“Well then, my knight, now that you have seen how the Church of Virtue thrives, would you care to take office within it? Adda, as High Priestess, is the blade that carves land for me, and you, you would become my firmest shield.”
Roy was silent for a moment. His ambition had long been set, and it had nothing to do with the Church. So he shifted the subject.
“My lady, the Church’s rapid growth is a good thing. But because of that, it has also drawn the eyes of those with darker intentions. I came to disturb you so abruptly tonight because, by accident, I stumbled upon a conspiracy.”
“A conspiracy?”
“Someone is plotting against you in secret.” Roy’s voice dropped.
“So you did not come to reminisce with me?” The Lake Lady’s smile faded. Then she lowered her eyes and sighed sadly. “I knew it, Roy. You young osprey would not land upon the lake without reason.”
There was grievance in her eyes, like a lotus leaf bent low under rain, pure and seductive in a way that stirred pity.
But the Witcher was no longer an innocent youth. His gaze did not waver. “My lady, hear me out. This matter involves Adda, or rather, it is being plotted by those around her.”