Chapter 303: How Could I, A Witcher, Be a Vassal of the Drummond Family?
The clan had to both satisfy the an Craite Family and not suffer too great a loss.
Otherwise, if it caused internal strife, it would be a disaster.
As for what he had said to his beloved son at the feast, about the blood feud between the families and the sacrifices made, to be honest, "One-Eyed" Lugos didn't care about any of it.
Because that was all in the past.
If every feud had to be meticulously accounted for, then the Drummond Family would not only have a score to settle with the an Craite Family, but also have to go to war with the Tordarroch Family of Undvik.
After all, the Drummond Family had previously ruled Undvik together with the Tordarroch Family.
There had also been some small skirmishes between the two families.
Moreover, as a jarl, he shouldn't stand still because of past hatred.
The Drummond Family's vassals had been clamoring that they should go to war with the an Craite Family and drive every last one of them out.
But that was precisely why they were vassals and not the patriarch.
However, the reason he hadn't done anything was, on one hand, because the opposition from the vassals in his family was too great, and he couldn't just ignore their opinions and act on his own.
On the other hand, he lacked an opportunity.
Now, he felt that the right opportunity was right in front of him.
"Master Lynn, from the look on your face, it's as if you've seen a ghost. Is it that unbelievable?"
"I do find it unbelievable. Logically, shouldn't you be at irreconcilable odds with the an Craite Family no matter what happens?"
"One-Eyed" Lugos laughed and explained.
"The laws of the Skellige Isles prohibit internal fighting between the families, and, although I am reluctant to say so, I have to admit that the Drummond Family's strength is still slightly inferior to the an Craite Family's at the moment."
"Both families live on Ard Skellig. The benefits of our cooperation with the an Craite Family are definitely greater than our families' hostility."
"But my worry is that the Drummond Family and the an Craite Family have already shed too much blood in this conflict, and there must also be people on the an Craite Family's side who are unwilling to reconcile."
"Furthermore, since the offer of peace comes from the Drummond Family, it's tantamount to giving in. To be honest, I'm a little worried that the an Craite Family might take the opportunity to demand an exorbitant price."
Regarding "One-Eyed" Lugos's worries, the witcher seemed quite calm.
"Just find someone to go to Kaer Trolde Castle and inform the an Craite Family's leader that you'd like to meet. Wouldn't that be enough?"
"No matter the outcome, the die has been cast. Isn't that better than just worrying here?"
"One-Eyed" Lugos nodded.
But a cunning look suddenly appeared in his eyes.
"The witcher master is very reasonable. I wonder if the master is willing to take on this commission?"
"One-Eyed" Lugos seemed to be trying to make up for something, adding.
"Of course, I don't mean to deliberately boss the master around. It's just that, as you know, my rough men are good for fighting and killing, but asking them to deliver a message is almost like asking for their lives."
"Besides, I'm not comfortable sending those young lads. What if they get carried away and turn a 'reconciliation' into a war? Wouldn't that be even worse?"
At first glance, all of "One-Eyed" Lugos's reasons seemed plausible and without issue.
But Lynn quickly thought of another candidate.
"Why not send your son?"
Although "Madman" Lugos's performance and reactions were completely opposite to the future Drummond patriarch in Lynn's memory, wasn't he the most suitable candidate?
Moreover, sending his own son would show even more sincerity, right?
Even if "Madman" Lugos brought a few men from the Drummond Family with him, he could definitely keep them in line and prevent them from causing trouble.
"He... he's not suitable..."
"One-Eyed" Lugos suddenly stammered and hesitated.
Lynn looked at his guilty expression for a few seconds, then realized.
Right.
Although he himself had a good impression of the an Craite Family due to the original novel and game, the Drummond Family and the an Craite Family were, after all, sworn enemies. Furthermore, the Kaer Muire Castle had always been isolated, with few travelers, so they didn't know much about the outside world.
In this situation, how could he dare to send his only beloved son to the an Craite Family? If something unexpected happened, wouldn't the Drummond Family have no heir?
After a brief moment of contemplation, Lynn finally accepted the commission.
He had already completed most of the witcher contracts on Ard Skellig anyway.
It was time to go to another island.
And although the Drummond Family's territory had a port, it was undoubtedly more convenient to take a boat from the an Craite Family's port to other islands.
And since he was going to Kaer Trolde Port, it wouldn't hurt to make a quick trip to Kaer Trolde Castle.
Besides, he also wanted to see what the "Wild Boar of the Sea" looked like in his youth.
In any case, he was only responsible for delivering the message.
As for whether the two families could reach an agreement in the end, and to what extent, that was their own business.
"Thank you, Master."
Seeing that Lynn had agreed, "One-Eyed" Lugos breathed a sigh of relief.
He took out a pouch of coins and handed it over.
It seemed he had been prepared.
Lynn didn't act coy and took it. He didn't open it, but he weighed it and found that it was not light.
He nodded and put it away.
Having accomplished his goal for this visit, he prepared to get up and leave.
But just then, "One-Eyed" Lugos suddenly spoke again.
"Master, there's one more thing."
The witcher frowned slightly.
He stopped him before he could speak.
"Lord Lugos, let me be clear first. I am only responsible for conveying your message that you hope to meet with Cerys. Anything beyond that is none of my business. Also, I suggest you seize this opportunity for peace talks and do not have any inappropriate thoughts."
Seeing that the witcher had misunderstood his meaning, "One-Eyed" Lugos clarified.
"Master, what I'm about to say has nothing to do with the peace talks. It's another matter."
"Another matter?"
Lynn's brow relaxed.
As long as he wasn't asked to be a lobbyist.
"One-Eyed" Lugos took a new bottle of wine and filled Lynn's cup.
"I know that if I want to have peace talks with the an Craite Family, empty words are not enough. I have to pay a certain price. No matter the cost, I have to return some of the land adjacent to the an Craite Family."
Lynn took a sip. "Hmm, what's the problem with that?"
"Please let me finish, Witcher Master," "One-Eyed" Lugos continued. "As long as the an Craite Family isn't too unreasonable, I can return some land to them, but what about the farmers who lose their land?"
(End of this chapter)
..............
AN: Check out my P@treon For +120 extra chapters.
Thank You For your Support!!
👉 Join now: patreon.com/Chaos_God