Chapter 555: Vilgefortz

The frost atronach and Gawain were searching the corner carefully for the sorceress. At the same time, Rience had conjured a screen of light. A short-haired, burly man in a knight's attire stood within the screen. Behind him were rows of bookshelves and a vat filled with water. Roy could vaguely see an endless beach outside the window behind the man.

Vilgefortz looked at his subordinate, and he tensed up a little. Surprised, he said, "What happened, Rience?"

A man was holding a blade seemingly made out of bones to Rience's throat. Rience's face was contorted in pain, guilt and frustration filling his eyes. His pupils were slightly dilated, and with a weak voice, he said, "I-I apologize, Master Vilgefortz. Th-The brat—"

"One more unnecessary word and my hands might just... slip." The man stuck his head out. He had short black hair and eyes of golden and silver hue. He seemed conflicted. The man warned Rience, "You'd better make peace with the gods when that happens."

Rience froze and stopped talking.

"Hello, Vilgefortz. Master sorcerer, member of the brotherhood, and beloved figure of the Continent's rulers. Your reputation precedes you."

Roy spaced out for a moment. After so many ordeals, he finally met Vilgefortz. The sorcerer who easily defeated Geralt and burned a higher vampire to cinders.

'Vilgefortz.

Age: 68 years old

Gender: Male

Status: Sorcerer, Druid, Alchemist, Member of the Sorcerer Brotherhood.

HP: 320

Mana: ?

Strength: 32

Constitution: 32

Dexterity: 25

Perception: 20

Charisma: 16

Spirit: ?

Skills:

Source, Elementalist Level 8, Staff Mastery Level 10, Quickspell Mastery Level 10, Meditation Level 10, Teleportation Level 10, Mirror Image Level 10, Anti-Gravity Field Level 10, Chromatic Barrier Level 10, Shadow Escape Level 10, Empathic Probe Level 10, Astrology Level 5... (more than three hundred skills hidden)'

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Roy inhaled sharply. He knew Vilgefortz was powerful, but this was beyond his imagination. The multitude of spells he knew alone vastly overpowered Roy's repertoire, and his incredible stats meant he was also as much an experienced fighter as he was a sorcerer.

In the original timeline, Geralt and Vilgefortz battled during the political shift in Thanedd a few years down the line. With his skill with the staff, Vilgefortz broke Geralt's legs, and the White Wolf's legs weren't the same since then. In the game, this translated to Geralt taking lethal fall damage if he were to jump off the height of a one-story building or more.

In a real battle, Roy would be crushed in a few exchanges. Vilgefortz was the strongest enemy he had seen to date, but he would not run away. If he failed to take Vilgefortz down, this man would stop at nothing until he destroyed the witchers and the children.

"You seem to have seen me before, but I can’t say the same about you," said Vilgefortz calmly. He stared at the young witcher, particularly the viper medallion hanging around his neck. He didn't remember ever seeing this lad before.

"Name's Roy. A nobody who got dragged into your schemes."

"I see. What a surprise." Vilgefortz smiled. There was praise and mockery in his smile. "I'm impressed, witcher. You managed to escape despite the heavy assault from Scoia'tael and Eternal Fire's guards. Not only that, you captured Rience and established contact with me. You're a top-notch escape artist if I've ever seen one. Very well, name your terms."

Vilgefortz crossed his arms nonchalantly. "What will it take for you to let him go?"Discover new chapters at novelhall.com

Her shifting mask was still as deadpan as ever, but it was glistening from the rivulets of sweat covering it. Lydia stared at the witcher in icy silence. She couldn't speak a word even if she wanted to. In a horrifying experiment, she lost her beauty, her chin, and voice. Since that nightmarish incident, Lydia concealed her true face behind a magical mask.

She was Vilgefortz's most trusted lieutenant, and Roy could see the concern and fear in her eyes. Even when her life was at stake, she was still putting her master before herself. Lydia was the only member of Vilgefortz's clique that Roy did not hate. Her only sin was that she chose the wrong side and was complicit in spreading his evil.

Sounds of footsteps slowly descended the stairs, and the air echoed with Vilgefortz's applause. "You are a very brave man, witcher," said Vilgefortz, his voice laced with magic. Roy couldn't shake the sorcerer's voice out of his head for a while.

Lydia's eyes shone with hope and love.

"Moments ago, you were insulting me, and now here you are. Alone."

Vilgefortz came off the final step, the darkness obscuring his face. He was holding a six-feet-long metal staff in his right hand, his body at ease. The sorcerer took one step ahead, and he split into four identical copies of himself. The copies surrounded the witchers, each as real as the other.

"Welcome to my castle, witcher." The mirror images stood ten yards away, staring at Roy. They spoke at the same time, their voices echoing and overlapping. The look in their eyes was not icy or deadly. Instead, it almost felt like they were looking at an old friend.

For some inexplicable reason, the sorcerer's attitude toward Roy underwent a change. There was even a hint of passion hiding deep within his eyes. "I hope you came here for a good enough reason."

"Finally we meet, Vilgefortz." Roy propped up the listless sorceress, looking around cautiously. Even with the power of Observe, Roy could not see which one was the real Vilgefortz.

Still, he had to stay calm in the face of this formidable enemy. This was different from their short meeting through the screen. Seeing Vilgefortz for himself told Roy how powerful this man was. His mana was overflowing and shone like the sun, his magical barrier made of chromatic shades. Bolts and arcs of electricity danced around him.

Roy couldn't be sure which one was the real Vilgefortz, but his temples were throbbing, his Elder Blood yelling out a warning. This castle was home to a danger far greater than Gruffyd the higher vampire.

"I have a feeling you know me and my story well." The mirror images looked at Roy curiously. "Can you tell me where we've met before?"

Roy looked around in silence. The medallion before his neck buzzed. The mana in the air rippled for a moment and quickly disappeared.

Vilgefortz was surprised. All the mind-reading spells he threw at the witcher were rendered ineffective. It was as though the spells had slammed into a wall that refused them access. He's born with anti-mind reading abilities.

Roy did not answer. Vilgefortz turned his gaze to the moaning Lydia, and he changed the subject. "Be gentle with Lydia. She's a good girl, and she deserves no torment."

Vilgefortz was gentle, but not out of love. He was only caring for a good lieutenant. This was just him being professional. The mirror images smiled. "The fact you barged into my home and didn't attack right away means there's room for negotiations. If you release Lydia and allow her to nurse her wounds, I will let Rience's death slide."

The mirror images took a collective step forward. The sorcerer was genuine. "And then we can talk. Equally and fairly, without any grudge or bad blood between us. You have a lot of questions about me, and so do I about you. A witcher possessing this many abilities is unheard of, and I do love making friends with powerful people. If we set aside our prejudice, perhaps we can strike a deal."

"Just because I'm young doesn't mean I'm gullible, Vilgefortz," Roy refused. He knew this man was a cunning old bastard. "I don't trust you, but you got one part right. Lydia's the only one in your clique who's sound of mind." Roy looked into Vilgefortz's eyes. "Schirru and Rience are fucked in the head, more or less. If I'm right, Lydia is also a painter, isn't she? Everything on these walls is made by her. I can see that she loves you deeply. She would do anything for you, even if it meant her death."

"But you've never responded to her feelings." Roy stared at the sorcerer. He was trying to use words as his weapon, attempting to break Vilgefortz's facade even a little, but the sorcerer was unfazed.

"You're the one who proposed a deal. I would like to see a gesture. Tell me, have you ever loved Lydia?"

The witcher launched his second attack, and Lydia froze. She then breathed heavily.

"Probing into another man's private matters is a peculiar hobby."

Vilgefortz's pupils contracted for a moment before he fell into silence. A gust of icy wind howled through the halls, the fire in the hearth crackling. The light of the fire projected shadows upon the faces of the chamber's occupants.

"Witcher, Lydia is a remarkable assistant. She's reliable, caring, and selfless. I trust her completely." He knew Lydia was staring at him, and he accepted that stare. "But that is all. I am no longer young enough to be swayed by love. Women are on a lower level of evolution, and that's why they're more easily swayed by their feelings."

Lydia hung her head low, the light in her eyes dim, her heart freezing over. Suddenly, she hated the witcher. Couldn't he let me at least hold on to this dream of mine? Why must he destroy my fantasy?

"I have a more important goal to reach." Vilgefortz was, to an extent, an idealist. His face was almost glowing golden when he spoke of his goal. "And I will sacrifice anything for that, even Lydia's life. Do not attempt to use her as a hostage or a chip for your goals. It will not work."

"Look at the skies above whenever you are making a decision, Roy." Vilgefortz then blurted his famous quote. "Do not mistake stars reflected in a pond for the night sky. You will find yourself in a predicament indeed."

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