The Divine Hunter

"So you mean the lord and his people need someone to vent their frustration on?" asked Visenna coldly, her eyes gleaming venomously green. "Even if you sacrifice the innocent, that will still not solve your problems."

"But it can buy us time. I'm sorry, but Geralt and Yurga cannot escape this. This is what Destiny has led them to."

A pregnant pause descended upon the office. Visenna's shoulders were trembling, and she stood up straighter. No longer was she gentle and soft-spoken. Her tenderness was taken over by something more feral. No longer was she the wise scholar. Now she was a dweller of the woods, filled with the power of nature's forces. She stared at Ritt fiercely, like a beast ready to come up with a plan of revenge.

"Ah, but we actually have a win-win solution right in front of us, deputy." Roy broke the ice and raised his head. Confidently, he said, "We can solve Mayena's predicament, clear the names of our suspects, and punish the wicked."

"Is that supposed to be a joke witcher? You're going to pull your hypnotic tricks on me, aren't you?" A mocking smirk curled Ritt's lips. He had far lower respect toward the witcher.

"Bah, empty talk's cheap, witcher." Ritt scoffed. "You think we can get money that easily? It's not like money's pinned to bulletin boards like request, witcher. Think coins will come rolling just because you swing your sword around and cut off a monster's head?"

"Why you…"

"You have an opportunity for coins ripe for the taking right in front of you." Roy took a step ahead, closing in on the deputy. He shot Ritt a look as sharp as knives, and the tension in the air around him grabbed Ritt by the throat, shutting him up.

Ritt had seen his fair shares of terrible criminals. He'd seen many death-row inmates, but none had an air as terrifying as the witcher. He had a feeling that the thing watching him was no human. No, it was a beast as titanic as the Blue Mountain, ready to engulf him should he make one wrong step. Fear made him take a step back.

"Ainz was a criminal, and a heinous one at that. All the wealth he accumulated, he gained through unlawful means." Crimson light flared in Roy's eyes. "According to Mayena— no, the law of the north, the punishment for his crimes must be heavy. You know what I'm talking about."

Ritt had a stroke of inspiration. His cheeks flared red, and his breathing became ragged. "His wealth will be confiscated."

"Ainz was Mayena's honorary ambassador. That title alone gave him enough power to amass a mountain of coins, let alone the wealth he plundered from the merchants over ten years. Let alone the coins he made by selling expired and tampered necessities after the war's breakout. Use whatever's left of your brain and think about it. Think about the mountains of coins you'll find." Roy paused, the light shining on his hard, icy face. "Take it, and Mayena will be loaded for at least a few years."

"I am such a fool."

Roy shook his head. There was a reason he wanted to go with this: so Mateo wouldn't self combust again. Roy pointed at the mangled wolf corpse. "On his way back from his negotiation, Ainz was attacked by a pack of mutated wolves. The beasts tore him apart and ate him up. If they wish to see parts of the corpse, I'm sure you can find them. If anyone asks about the red light, tell them Geralt, Mateo, and Yurga spouted nonsense due to the shock they received. The truth was that Ainz was killed by beasts, not by a red light."

He continued. "The innocents are released, the wicked are punished, Mayena's coin problem is solved, and the people will not have to face starvation and inflation. Everyone's happy."

Ritt took a deep breath, holding his excitement and urge to leap to action down. "I might have underestimated you, witcher. That is a tempting idea. Ainz was a criminal, and a heinous one at that. I must tell the lord about this and confiscate all his wealth. And then we will expose his crimes to the people, subjecting him to condemnation." But then he glared at the witcher with fury, coldly asking, "But why should I release Geralt and Yurga? Why should I do that after the attitude you showed me? After all the ordering around you did?"

Roy took another step closer and stood before the bald, foolish deputy. He smiled, his teeth glinting like stars. It was a warm and friendly smile, but despite that, Ritt still felt a mountain of pressure coming from the witcher, even though he was the shorter one here.

And then he saw crimson light flashing behind the witcher, and tentacles leapt out of the void, constricting his arms, legs, neck, and torso. All the air was pushed out of him, and his face turned purple, goosebumps undulating all over his body.

A wave of fear screamed from the depths of his soul.

***

Roy shrugged. "Sure. I do not look forward to another visit here."

***

Ritt summoned the soldiers and whispered something to them.

"A minute, you two. Geralt and Yurga will be here shortly. Do as you please. I need to see the lord now."

Visenna looked glad at first, but then she felt conflicted, and she clenched her fists.

"Do as your heart tells you to, Lady Visenna. You can't be trying to run away at this point."

Visenna took a deep breath and approached the window, staring outside stiffly. She wouldn't even look at Roy.

***

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