4 Setting Out

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works, if you recognise it from somewhere else, surprise it isn't mine.

Betad by morde24, Atrius, Hermes, Priapus, Marethyu, Old man of the mountain, TheDonFluffles and Mike, God of Lore

The Guild of Gamers: The Warlock

Chapter 04: Setting Out

— Lucas —

"Good morning," I say, seeing Margarita fussing with something on one of the balconies, some kind of magical tool, but I haven't the foggiest what it actually is.

"Ah, a very good morning for you, I suspect," Margarita says, a knowing look in her eyes as I blush slightly. "Don't worry, I'm not going to scold you for accepting their approach, Felicia and Morgana are big girls who can make their own decisions. The rules of Aretuza hardly matter with the school reduced to rubble," Margarita says, waving her hand. "I'll simply ask you to not play with their hearts, and leave it at that."

"Ah, thank you. Are you having trouble with… whatever that is?" I ask with some embarrassment, watching her sigh and kick the bottom of the stand for her tool.

"This is a megascope, a device used to communicate over long distances. We found it amongst the belongings the hunters kept, likely hoping to sell the gems, but unfortunately it was damaged by their careless transport," Margarita says. "I was hoping to get it working, to make our task of finding other magic users easier, but with the damages and our otherworldly location I'm afraid it's a lost cause. I'd need some replacement parts I simply don't have and the help of some of my Lodge sisters to help me get it working so we could communicate with the magic users of our world."

"A shame, but speaking of your Lodge sisters, I plan to set out for Novigrad soon. Is there anything I should know about Triss before I start searching for her?" I ask, making Margarita smile as she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a sealed letter.

"This is for Triss if you find her, I imagine she's going to be on guard with all that is going on in Novigrad, this should help you win her trust," Margarita says, handing it over before she casts something.

The illusionary form of an incredibly beautiful red-headed woman appears, the best way I can describe her is the girl next door stereotype all grown up, a soft, kind looking face.

"This is what she looks like, but she's rather famous and the hunters certainly know what she looks like, so I imagine she's taking precautions to stay incognito. Triss is… one of the better members of the Lodge, even if she isn't as averse to politics as I am, given her former position at King Foltest's court, she's not as ambitious or power hungry as many of my sisters. She's always been worried about her fellow magic users, I imagine that's only grown more intense, given the hunts," Margarita explains. "I wish I could tell you more, but I truly don't know what's become of her, I'm just sure she hasn't been captured yet. She'll be coordinating the surviving magic users I imagine, but they won't be easy to find for obvious reasons."

"I know, I'm not expecting this to be an easy task," I say, Novigrad is apparently a massive city and I need to find a group of people who very much need to stay hidden.

"Indeed, and I truly appreciate all the effort you're putting in for me and my girls," Margarita says, placing a hand on my chest with a soft smile. "You're a good man, Lucas, and we were lucky you happened to stumble across Morgana in our time of need."

I can't deny I blush slightly at her earnest words, especially as she places a kiss on my cheek which comes dangerously close to my lips, a fond look in her eyes.

I feel somewhat bad, because a large part of the reason I'm doing so much is because of my pact, even if I do believe in the path Lord Grayson has set me upon.

"Now, now, Lucas, if you're that easily flattered, my girls will eat you alive," Margarita teases, making me chuckle.

"Is that such a bad thing?" I ask, making Margarita giggle.

"I suppose not, you're a healthy male and it's only natural you'd enjoy being hunted by so many beautiful young women, but if you keep being so heroic I might have to take you for myself~" Margarita teases, giving me a hungry look which makes me gulp slightly as my eyes slip down and take in her barely-covered breasts, her dress putting an immense amount of cleavage on display.

Which of course just makes her giggle again, enjoying the obvious reaction.

I'm no blushing virgin, but while I was popular in my last life I'm not used to such forwardness, because my senses tell me she isn't joking. I think if I lifted her dress up and checked between her legs, I'd find a certain dampness.

"Well, that's one way to motivate me to help save Triss and the other mages, knowing such a reward is waiting for me," I say, giving her body a long, blatant look, her smile growing.

"I'm glad to hear it, but let me know if you require any… motivation, with all you've done for me and my girls I'd be happy to help motivate you as often as you need it," Margarita giggles, moving forwards again as she presses her breasts against my chest, leaning forwards and kissing the side of my lips again, but as she goes to I wrap a hand around her waist and turn my head to capture her lips.

Her eyes widen at my sudden boldness, but she doesn't resist as she leans into the kiss, slipping her tongue into my mouth even as my hand moves down to her backside, gently caressing the incredibly firm butt through her thin dress. I can't feel any underwear, does she go commando under her robe?

Some gigging makes us break apart, spotting some of her students dodging back behind a corner as she sighs fondly.

"Truly though, Lucas, teasing aside, thank you for everything. These girls are my life, and you saved them from certain torture and death, and for that you have my eternal gratitude," Margarita says seriously, which causes a burst of pride. "I have a debt to you I'll never be able to repay, if you need anything at all, you need only to ask."

Being the hero feels pretty damn good, or maybe that's just the way her breasts are pushing against my chest.

"I'll keep that in mind, Margarita," I say simply as I reluctantly let her go, stepping back. "And you're truly welcome."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go and remind my girls not to eavesdrop," Margarita says with a long-suffering smile, making me chuckle.

"And I have a search to start," I say, watching her leave.

Before I can leave myself, I spot Morgana heading towards me with a determined stare.

"You're going to Novigrad, right?" Morgana asks, making me nod. "I want to come with you, you shouldn't be in enemy territory alone."

"I appreciate the thought, Morgana, but no. The Hunters know they just lost a lot of Sorceress, they'll be looking for young women they don't recognise, and you stand out. You're clearly no peasant girl," I say, making her blush as I gently caress her chin. "They didn't see me, and I won't risk you. I'll be staying out of trouble, I promise."

I can see the indecision in her eyes, but she clearly enjoys my concern and compliment.

"I- fine, but you had better be careful, don't take any risks," Morgana demands, making me smile as I stroke her hair, leaning forwards and placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"And how could I take any risks when I know I've got you waiting for me at home?" I ask teasingly, making her blush.

Felicia giggles, giving me a wave. Amusingly, while Morgana had put on a long silky robe, Felicia just decided to wear one of my shirts, that barely reaches her upper thigh, making it obvious she's wearing nothing underneath it.

"Don't worry, Morgana, our dashing hero just needs to go and save some more damsels in distress," Felicia says teasingly, even though I can see some concern in her eyes. "The biggest concern we should be worried about is how quickly his bed is going to fill up. It can fit the three of us, but with Professor Margarita soon to join us and the queue of our classmates waiting their turn, adding the sorceresses of Novigrad to the list is going to rapidly make the bed crowded."

Morgana blushes at Felicia's teasing tone, but I just roll my eyes.

"Somehow, I doubt that will be a problem," I deadpan, that's certainly an exaggeration but Felicia seems to be having fun.

"Ah, you're sure you have the stamina to handle so many grateful Sorceresses? How confident of you, I look forward to watching you live up to your bold claims," Felicia says, making me laugh.

"Ah, you enjoy watching do you? You certainly didn't mind sitting back and letting Morgana handle me by herself last night, were you enjoying the show?" I ask, making her smirk as Morgana blushes.

"I think how long I spent with my head between Morgana's legs showed that I enjoy both sexes, and you two certainly made quite the sight, I have to admit I've wondered what Professor Margarita's face would look like as she's bouncing on your cock~" Felicia admits lewdly, Morgana turning increasingly red at our conversation.

"Oh, have you?" Margarita says, making Felicia freeze at the quiet, amused tone. "How interesting, Miss Cori. Why don't you come with me and tell me all about what you've wanted to watch me do?"

"Sounds like a fun conversation, but I have places to be. Don't worry, I'll be careful," I promise them, giving Morgana and Felicia a quick kiss before I give Margarita a lazy smile.

Waving, I set off towards the entrance of my castle in Albion, planning out how I'm going to try and track down Triss Merigold without drawing an unwanted amount of attention onto both myself and more importantly the mages in Novigrad.

— Later —

I already hate Novigrad, actually genuinely hate it.

Standing in the cheering crowd, I watch as a male mage is strapped to the pyre, the priest rambling about the eternal fire as they prepare to burn him alive.

I can't save him, not alone in their centre of power, I can't see any Templars right here but I've seen several of the heavily armoured knights patrolling the city since I arrived.

But it's not just the fanatical priest and the rabid hunters that's drawn my ire, but the peasants as well.

They're cheering as they wait to watch a man whose only crime was using magic. They're fucking animals, treating an execution like a show.

So in my bad mood, when my imp telepathically speaks into my mind, flying high above the crowd, I don't hesitate as much as I should, watching them ignite the pyre.

A cackle fills my head as the bird disappears, turning invisible, but nobody notices as they watch the man start to scream.

They do notice when the fires suddenly expand, turning a sinister purple as the pyre explodes, my imp having dive bombed into the fires and blown himself up, sending chunks of flaming wood in every direction, killing the mage and the priest instantly. I can't save him but I can end his suffering faster.

Vlad will be fine, I'll summon him back later.

The cheers turn to screams as the smoke takes the form of a laughing skull, a little illusion cast by my little fairy, and as a chunk of wood flies in my direction, I move forwards and shield a slightly older woman as the wood hits my back, making me grit my teeth.

The woman is absolutely plain, and she'd been happily cheering for the death of the mage moments ago, but as she looks up at me with awe and gratitude I give her a pained smile.

— Thirty Minutes Later —

You know what else this woman was? A prude, a quiet housewife who probably only ever has sex in the missionary position for the sake of procreation.

After getting away from the chaos, and getting praised by a templar for my selfless heroism while my back was being treated, I convinced Teresa (as I learnt her name was) to give me a tour, I'm a newcomer to Redania after all, the son of a merchant from Kovir, after Margarita helped me make my backstory.

She's exactly as boring as she looks, her husband is a soldier who is off fighting the black ones, she has two daughters, both in their teens, and she barely has anything that resembles a hobby, too busy with being the homemaker.

All in all, she's the typical housewife.

Though, I have to admit, while she might look extremely plain, she has some massive breasts.

Breasts that are currently bouncing wildly as she clutches her bedsheets, her clothes tossed aside as she places one hand on her dining table to steady herself, the other desperately covering her mouth as I pound into her married cunt.

Honestly, even without Beguiling Tongue, Teresa was so bored of her day to day life it was hardly a challenge to talk her out of her clothes, she probably dreamed of a whirlwind romance with a younger, handsome man.

Spanking her ass, she whimpers between moans, her ass-cheeks already red and sore from my rough treatment.

I haven't forgotten that she was cheering for the death of one of my people, and while she probably thought I'd treat her like a princess, she was very wrong.

Slamming into her one last time, I cum inside her despite her telling me not to several times, a lewd moan leaving her throat as she gasps.

Before she can recover, I grip her hair and spin her around, forcing her to her knees.

"L-Lucas?"

"Suck," I order, slapping her across the face with my cock, before I press it against her lips. She goes to speak, but that's just an opportunity to violate her open mouth as I thrust in. "I better not feel any teeth," I warn, arousal, outrage and confusion clear in her eyes as I start to brutally fuck her face, choking her as my cock pushes into her esophagus.

Raven wanted me to corrupt a prude, and this bitch needs punishing anyway.

— An Hour Later —

"I'm gonna cum, slut, where should I put it?" I growl, smirking at the middle-aged housewife currently tied to her bedpost with her own torn clothes, her legs tied to the posts forcing them to spread as they went over her shoulders.

"I-inside," Teresa moans, barely conscious anymore as I look down at her ruined state, cum staining her face and leaking from her abused asshole, red marks on her breasts, face and ass. "Cum inside me, b-breed me."

One hand around her throat, I know I'm being influenced by my pacts, I was never this rough with my partners in my past life, but I don't regret a thing as I thrust forwards, feeling her cunt trying to milk my cock, giving her exactly what she wants as I finish inside her one last time.

"Y-yes~"

The formerly loyal middle-aged housewife cums like a cheap whore as she's creampied, making me scoff as I pull back.

Quest Complete

Raven's Request

Objective: Corrupt or Humiliate a Prude

Reward: You avoid paying her back in whatever way she deems necessary to punish you

Good work, handsome~

You've ruined this poor housewife, her boring married life won't satisfy her anymore, even when her husband comes home he won't be able to treat her like she needs now

Her husband is the obvious type, he won't even notice or believe the rumours when she strays~

One happy marriage ruined, good work hero. Ah damnit, have I knocked her up?

Nah, she's not as fertile as she once was, but since you gave me such a fun show I'll give you a little extra~

[Fertility Control]

You've gained the ability to control your own fertility, able to either make yourself so fertile that pregnancy is almost guaranteed or completely sterile.

Thanks, I don't particularly like the idea of bringing children into such a shitty world, maybe once I've set up a safe haven for mages but I'll not have any of my children growing up in this shithole.

You're welcome, honey~

Teresa is panting, unable to move from her bound position as I watch my seed leak out from her freshly-fucked cunt, the quiet housewife turned into a used whore.

Her daughters are visiting a friend apparently, but they'll be back eventually and I briefly consider leaving her to be discovered in this state, but while I can't say I like her, I think I put her through enough to work off my frustration at the backwards peasants of this city, even if she enjoyed it.

Reaching forwards, I untie her gently as she smiles up at me with a dopey smile, barely conscious as her legs flop down, exhausted but satisfied.

As our encounter comes to an end, I see the guilt in her eyes as she realises what she's done, but leaning forwards I place a domineering kiss on her lips, my hand gripping her hair and she immediately melts into it, it's not like second thoughts would undo her affair.

As I break the kiss, she looks up at me with indecision before she sighs.

"L-Lucas, we can't- I'm a married woman, I l-love my husband, this was a mistake," Teresa says quietly. "I don't regret it, I've been lonely while he's been away, but we can't do this again."

Cute that she thinks I particularly wanted to make this a regular affair given the beauties I have back home.

"Then we better make the most of today," I say, smirking as I grab her and flip her over, and despite her words, her legs spread in preparation.

— Later —

Walking through Novigrad, I smile to myself even as the smell of the Ye Olde city offends my nose, one of my tasks complete.

Saving the elves and mages won't be so easy, but they don't have such strict deadlines so I'm happy to have Raven's request finished and taken care of. Now it's time to focus on what I actually came here for.

Which raises an important question, how can I possibly find a talented mage, who is trying to stay hidden, in a city as large as Novigrad, when I haven't got a fucking clue where I should start looking?

I don't know Triss, I don't know Novigrad and while Margarita isn't expecting me to find her immediately, I'm not the type of man who leaves a job unfinished.

So, how do I find her?

Well, pure dumb luck of course. Devil's Luck to be exact, luck is for more than just card games after all, and while I can't risk over-using Devil's Luck, I could use a little good fortune right now.

Using my power for the first time, it's hard to describe how it makes me feel, beyond putting a pep in my step and the general feeling that everything is going to go my way.

It's intoxicating but that's the trick, it wants me to use it non-stop but that would eventually invert my luck, making me a true example of Murphy's law, with everything that could possibly go wrong happening, every worst case scenario

But in short bursts, this is a powerful skill indeed as a flyer literally slaps me in the face, advertising an auction for the belongings of some captured mages that had been burnt at the stake.

I turn off my skill, getting the hint as I set off towards the auction, and with a few directions from some locals, I find myself taking a seat at the informal auction.

I have some money from the hunters, but not much, and I'm not sure if I'm looking for an item or a person. Triss could be in this very crowd, hidden under an illusion.

Activating my skill again, I pause as I spot one of the items on display, feeling an immediate hunch that it is exactly what I came here for.

My luck holds out as it comes up, because beyond a dwarf who gave up fairly quickly, nobody else seems to particularly want this particular item and with a small hit to my coin pouch, I find myself the proud owner of… an owl?

An owl wearing a dimeritium shackle, the unique metal recognisable up close, and my ability to sense sin brings up a massive feeling of pride and greed from this pretty little owl.

Walking out of the auction, the owl in her cage, I head to a local inn and buy a room for the night, placing the owl down as she stares at me with incredibly intelligent eyes.

"You must be a very special owl to need such a pretty shackle," I say, the key to both her cage and shackle in my pocket as she freezes, staring up at me in concern.

With the door and window closed, I open my hand and conjure a small ball of purple flame, before snuffing it, the bird's eyes widening as the concern fades.

Reaching forwards, I open the cage and hesitate as the bird watches me.

"You aren't going to cause a problem, are you?" I ask, making her hoot softly as I undo the dimeritium shackle.

Stepping back, she flies out of the cage, transforming the moment she's got enough space, my eyes widening slightly as the pretty owl transforms into a beautiful woman with long brown hair, a blindfold over her eyes.

Somehow, I still feel like she can see me despite the blindfold, and her stare is fairly intense.

A blind sorceress? Something clicks in the back of my mind, something Felicia told me when I was getting to know her, which usually comes before the wild sex, but it worked well enough as pillow talk.

"Philippa?" I ask, making her pause. Felicia's mentor, and another Lodge member. Good fortune indeed.

"Have we met before?" Philippa asks, making me shake my head before I realise the futility of it.

"No, we haven't but I saved one of your apprentices, Felicia, and she described you well," I admit, making her perk up slightly before she frowns.

"Felicia was in Aretuza, she shouldn't have been anywhere near Novigrad," Philippa says, the question clear.

"Aretuza fell, Margarita tried to come here to meet with Triss Merigold, but she was captured. I, and Morgana, rescued her and her students while they were being transported to Deireadh," I explain, and I don't miss the way she stiffens ever-so-slightly at the mention of Morgana. "I've housed them in my safe haven, it's actually why I'm here. Margarita asked me to find Triss, it was dumb luck that I heard of the auction and noticed your… special shackle."

"Luck, or fate perhaps, but I just might be able to return the favour. Triss is working for a local crime lord called the King of Beggars, trying to scrounge up the gold to get the mages she's gathered out of the city, a foolish endeavour, as the so-called king enjoys having a group of desperate mages at his beck and call, and isn't in a rush to let them leave," Philippa scoffs, making me frown. "I know where his 'putrid grotto' is, but I'd like to be out of this city. You say you have a safe haven? Safe from the templars and witch hunters?"

"I do, it can only be accessed by magic, my magic to be exact," I explain, making her frown thoughtfully. It's hard to read her without being able to see her eyes.

I'm a little cautious of her due to the sheer pride and greed I can feel from her, but she's one of Margarita's lodge sisters and a powerful sorceress, she'll be a good one to have on our side, as long as I keep an eye on her.

"Impressive, you intend to bring Triss and her group to it?" Philippa asks.

"That's the plan, it's large enough and I should be able to expand it," I say, knowing I'll need to make another deal with Raven to do so. "Margarita and her students are the only residents at the moment, and I'm sure there'll be logistical problems as our numbers increase, but it's safe."

"Then perhaps I can assist with that, in exchange for sheltering me within your home, I was once the advisor of the last king of Redania, managing the logistics of a handful of mages is entirely within my skill set," Philippa explains, pride obvious.

It's Radovid, the current king, who is pushing for the mage hunts, right? And yet his father had a magical advisor. I'm missing something and I don't like it.

"I'd shelter you even without the help, I'll not leave anyone to the hands of the hunters, but your assistance would be appreciated," I say simply, putting it out of my mind for now. "Would you like to go to Albion now, or should we find Triss first?"

"Albion? An interesting name. Let us leave this place, I'm too close to the Templars to feel comfortable, given that I'm one of their most wanted sorceresses," Philippa says after a moment. "Triss has survived here for months, she can last another night."

— Philippa Eilhart —

"As you wish, I'll need to leave the city to open the portal, and you stand out entirely too much. This'll be easier if you turn back into an owl, but no shackles this time, I'm Lucas by the way, apologies for the late introduction," Lucas said, making her hesitate.

After spending days stuck as an owl, she wasn't eager to turn back into one but he wasn't wrong and her paranoia lessened when he removed the chain and shackle entirely.

She didn't know him, but if he was telling the truth- and she believed he was as she didn't believe he could deceive her- he'd saved Margarita, her apprentice and perhaps most importantly of all, Morgana.

If Morgana still lived, perhaps this entire catastrophe could be salvaged.

"Very well, it would attract too much attention for two people to leave this room when only one entered, even if I changed, I'll place my trust in you," Philippa lied, she didn't trust anyone so easily, even if he'd freed her from her unfortunate situation.

But from his words, Margarita may have found a fellow bleeding heart, his softness made her want to scoff but as she was benefiting from it she held her tongue as she entered the damnable cage.

It wasn't enough for Arthur to trick and capture her, the fool had to get himself captured and killed by hunters, risking her life as well. With Dijkstra and Radovid in Novigrad, there would be a race to see who could get their hands on her first.

With those potential fates, the handsome young mage was a far brighter prospect, and as he carried her out of the room, chatting to the innkeeper, she tried to place his face and accent.

His claims of being from Kovir, which she'd heard while he was first carrying her, were false. He didn't speak like a Kovir native, in fact he didn't speak like a native of any kingdom, and his olive skin made her think he came from someplace warmer, though not Ofir or any of the provinces.

Still, for all his seemingly softhearted nature, he clearly had a silver tongue as he easily befriended the locals, who often scorned foreigners. He'd been trained to speak like that, no mere peasant, perhaps a son of a noble or the scion of a merchant family?

Making his way out of the city, he didn't try to avoid the hunters, even as his looks and the fact that he was carrying an owl around attracted some attention, instead playing the part of a wealthy youth who'd bought an owl on a whim.

She stiffened in her cage every time they passed some hunters, but they made it out of the city with ease. She stayed in her owl form, enjoying the ability to see as thankfully the blinding of her eyes hadn't blinded her animal form.

He was smarter than she originally gave him credit for, and as they moved away from the city and from prying eyes, she watched him approach a tree, hidden by foliage as he placed a hand on it and the tree twisted and opened up.

Her eyes widened in surprise, this was no regular portal, in fact she wasn't sure what type of magic this was.

Turning back, she almost protested when he took her hand like she was a child to be guided.

"We need to stick to the path, and given your blindness I can't risk you wandering off it accidentally," Lucas warned, making her scowl before she nodded.

"I don't recognise this type of portal, where did you learn it?" Philippa asked, following behind as she reached out with her magic, almost freezing as she felt the sheer amount of magic around them.

"It's Fey magic, from another world. The world we're about to arrive at actually," Lucas admitted, making her stop as her mind raced. He hadn't just opened a portal, he'd opened a portal to another world?

If his safe haven was in Tír na nòg, the home of the Fey, it would certainly explain why he was confident that the hunters wouldn't reach them.

Some mages might be able to replicate the feat, but he did it so easily, and only one person she could think of should be able to traverse between worlds so easily, Cirilla.

Unless she was very wrong, Lucas had to have Elder Blood, even if it had expressed itself differently than Ciri's, and that made her mind truly race as she considered what it meant for the Lodge and their plans.

— Lucas —

Margarita worked out that I could travel between worlds, so I imagine Philippa would do the same, so I'd rather just admit it instead of trying to keep it a secret.

"How did you learn to open portals between worlds? That is no mere cantrip," Philippa asks, making me pause as I consider my answer.

"I learnt it from the ruler of the world we are travelling to, she granted me a slice of her world as a safe haven in exchange for services rendered," I explain, entirely truthfully. "In truth I'm a complete novice when it comes to magic."

Another complete truth, if you ignore my system and pact powers.

Reaching the end of the path, I let go of her hand as we arrived just in front of Albion. I'll definitely need to make a new pact to get a larger piece of land for when I find Triss.

The castle can fit the students from Aretuza, but I don't particularly want an unknown amount of mages living in my home, maybe a small village and some farmland?

But then, something tells me that some mages aren't going to be thrilled at the idea of putting down their staves and picking up farming tools.

"Lucas, you're- Philippa?!" Margarita asks, clearly shocked as I return with the wrong Lodge member.

"Margarita? I'm glad Lucas was telling the truth," Philippa says calmly, turning to where Margarita is watching us.

"Hey, Margarita. Not exactly the Lodge member I was looking for, but I'd call my first excursion into Novigrad a success," I say easily, making her smile.

"Indeed, though I must admit I'm curious how you found Philippa first, nobody has seen you since Loc Muinne," Margarita says, turning back to Philippa who scowls slightly.

"I trusted the wrong person to help me restore my eyes. Arthur decided that a kingdom-wide witch hunt was the best time to settle an old score and trapped me in my owl form, the fool. He's dead of course, he was entirely too confident in his ability to avoid the Templars, had they noticed that his 'pet' was a sorceress before Lucas bought me at the auction of Arthur's things, I'd be dead or worse," Philippa explains, making Margarita frown.

"Arthur didn't take you leaving him well, but I didn't think he'd be this reckless," Margarita says, making me pause.

"Wait, you needed help and you went to a jilted lover instead of one of your Lodge sisters?" I ask, making Philippa scowl.

"I underestimated his bitterness, I doubt he planned to kill me but I suppose we'll never learn what he planned to do with me as he was captured and killed shortly after chaining me in dimeritium," Philippa admits, before shaking her head. "I'm free now, and I must admit this sanctuary of yours is impressive, how many from Aretuza survived?"

"Most of my students, though some died in the fighting with the hunters but Lucas saved us before we could be transported to Deireadh," Margarita says, giving me a warm smile before she pauses. "They have Sheala, I don't know when she was captured but they boasted about having her locked up in Deireadh."

Philippa scowls fiercely at that, I don't know how close the Lodge are, especially if Philippa decided to go to her angry ex instead of them, but the news clearly angers her.

"Assuming she's alive, and I'm sure she is, as Radovid wouldn't let a Lodge member die so easily, we'll have to rescue her," Philippa says bluntly, and I can appreciate her determination.

"It won't be easy. The Templars have made it their main base in Redania, they've built an entire fortress on top of it," Margarita warns, making Philippa's scowl grow.

"I'll not leave Sheala in the hands of those brutes, if for no other reason than because she knows too much. She's strong-willed, but nobody can resist forever," Philippa says simply,

"I'll help if I can, if nothing else it'll send a strong message to the witch hunters and Templars, but we'll need to get Triss and her mages out of Novigrad before we kick that hornets nest," I say, making her turn to me, a thoughtful look on her face (I think).

"True, and having Triss on our side will help as well, I imagine quite a few of her followers have found themselves in Deireadh," Philippa agrees.

A strong first move against the hunters, naturally you'll be rewarded if you succeed in destroying their prison.

Quest Added

Freedom!

Objective: Destroy Deireadh Prison

Optional Objective: Save Sheala de Tancarville

Optional Objective: Kill the Templar Commander stationed in Deireadh

Reward: Powers, based on how successful you are

Hm, so I get rewards for making progress towards my main objective? Good to know, because I'll need all the help I can get to pull off my two main objectives.

"We can talk about this later, an assault on Deireadh will need to be very well planned, or anyone we send won't leave that hellish place," Margarita says, making Philippa nod after a moment. "For now, you look like you need some rest, and to be perfectly blunt, a bath."

"Hm, you aren't wrong. Lucas, you have my thanks for your timely rescue, and we will have to speak soon, but I need to speak to Margarita and find out which of my former apprentices still live," Philippa says bluntly.

"Of course, make yourself at home. We can talk in the morning, I'll need your help to find Triss and this King of Beggars anyway," I say easily, making her nod.

I don't trust her, too much doesn't add up and the sheer amount of ambition and pride I feel within her worries me.

I need to find out more about her, because Margarita will probably lie to protect her Lodge sister, even if I saved her, and I certainly don't trust Philippa to tell me the truth about herself.

If she was Radovid's fathers advisor, why does he seem to hate her and the Lodge more than anything else?

But for now, I need to summon Vlad back and plan for tomorrow.

— Philippa Eilhart —

Sitting in the fancy bedroom, worthy of royalty, that Lucas had given her, she stared at Margarita intently, despite her blindness.

"Am I correct in assuming that Lucas has the Elder Blood?" Philippa asked bluntly, making Margarita sigh.

"I don't know for certain, but I highly suspect so. Every type of magic I've seen Lucas use involves summoning otherworldly powers. He has two familiars, summoned from two different planes, an imp from the 'nine hells' and a fairy from this world. He can summon hellfire from the nine hells and a beguiling mist from the Feywilds, which is apparently the name of this world," Margarita explained, making her frown thoughtfully.

"Cirilla never showed the ability to call on otherworldly magic like this, but it's possible he's the descendant of a bastard we missed, whose Elder Blood has developed down a different path," Philippa theorised, frowning.

Lucas' version of the Elder Blood seemed more powerful than Ciri's, certainly more controlled.

"Do you know where he grew up? Which Kingdom is he from?" Philippa asked.

"No, but I have a theory that he grew up here, he claims this castle and lands were given to him by the ruler of the Feywilds, Queen Raven, though I suspect 'The Raven Queen' would be more accurate," Margarita explained, making her pause.

Some very old stories mentioned the Raven Queen as a powerful Fey ruler, could her name actually just be Raven? How did Lucas meet her?

If he was anything like Ciri, he might have just accidentally travelled to the 'Feywilds' (possibly another name for Tír na nòg), and perhaps this Fey Queen knew how to control or bind his powers.

If he grew up in her court, it'd explain his mannerisms, the foreign accent, and his familiarity with a figure of legend.

This changed things, though even she wasn't sure exactly how this would impact the Lodge's plans for Ciri.

"Was Morgana… defiled during her time in captivity?" Philippa asked, changing the subject to the other important part of her plans.

"Ah, no, but she fell for Lucas after his rescue, and they quickly became lovers," Margarita admitted as Philippa scowled.

"And you didn't think to stop them? You know how important Morgana is, the sole remaining child of Foltest, she's the rightful heir to the throne, our best chance at salvaging this entire fuck-up," Philippa asked acidly. "We need her to marry someone of power and influence to have the support to push Redania and Nilfgaard out of Temeria, which will be harder if she's used goods."

"I wasn't going to interfere with Morgana's decision, she's her own woman, and she'd have hated me for interfering," Margarita replied calmly. "And don't forget that it was your plans that led to this entire witch hunt. I told you, and the others, that your scheme would end in tragedy, and I was right. Nilfgaard took advantage of the chaos you sowed, Radovid gained all the proof and support he needed to start a purge of all magic users, the Pontar Valley, your promised new kingdom ruled by magic, is under Emhyr's control, and even after all these fuck ups, you're still scheming away," Margarita said darkly, uncharacteristically angry.

"Radovid is a mad beast, he'd always have found a reason to hunt-"

"Because you killed his father and tried to rule Redania with Radovid as a puppet, you taught him to fear and hate mages from a very young age. I'm happy you're alive, Philippa, I truly am, but every time you start scheming things end up worse for everyone involved," Margarita said bluntly, making Philippa scowl fiercely.

She was the head of the Lodge, even if they never formally acknowledged it, she shouldn't be spoken to this badly.

Yes, things had gone wrong, but this was the plan the Lodge had agreed to, even if Margarita preferred to play teacher. She was trying to secure a future for mages everywhere, away from the thumb of Emhyr and the incompetence of the northern rulers.

"The Lodge-"

"Is in pieces, Fringilla has been arrested and I suspect betrayed us to save her own skin, Francesca and Ida are both claiming ignorance, that they didn't know our plans, Sheala is likely being tortured as we speak, Assire is dead, and I don't even know where Yennefer or Keira are," Margarita countered immediately, obviously overly emotional given the destruction of her beloved Aretuza.

"Yennefer is apparently with Nilfgaard, I suspect she's looking for Ciri," Philippa added, she'd heard that before she went to meet with Arthur, and she very much did not not like being talked down to like a child. "She'll come to us if we send word of Lucas' possible elder blood, I can think of several ways to use it to track down Ciri off the top of my head."

"You will not drag Lucas into your plans, don't forget he's the only way to leave this place, and he's sheltering my students after your plans almost got them all killed, I owe him too much to sit back and let you manipulate him," Margarita said sternly, taking to her like she was a misbehaving student.

"Very well," Philippa lied. "I need to focus on regaining what I've lost for now anyway, I take it I can count on your help?"

"I'll do what I can, but we have very limited resources here," Margarita explained.

"Then I have a lot of work to do, I already told Lucas I'd help with the logistical problems Albion is facing," Philippa said simply, mind racing.

Already, a new plan was forming in her mind. Could they make the kingdom she wanted, a kingdom for magic users, ruled by magic users, here?

She was hesitant to try anything with this Raven Queen, but what if she could turn this sanctuary into the new kingdom she'd been trying to make in the Pontar Valley? At the very least it could become a magical city-state.

Of course, she'd need Lucas' help for that, but she'd played advisor to a king before, all she had to do was nudge him in the right direction and make herself indispensable to him and this place.

Then, placing Morgana on the throne of Temeria, they'd have two mage-run kingdoms, marrying Morgana and Lucas wasn't ideal but it sounded like she'd have little resistance from the two.

After that…

If Emhyr was looking for Ciri, either things weren't looking too good for the White Flame Dancing on The Barrows of His Enemies, or he'd resumed his plan to impregnate his daughter and take her as his empress.

Which would mean they'd be a single assassination from the biggest empire in the world being ruled by another magic user.

But first things first, she had to find a way to make this single castle into a true magical city, which would need a lot more land than they currently had.

She needed to learn more about Lucas' relationship with this Raven Queen, and of course get Lucas to see things her way.

Scheming away, both she and Margarita missed the invisible fairy flying out of the open window, Bella giggling to herself silently as she went to report to her master about what the very naughty sorceress had done.

— Bonus Scene — Raven

As she was changing the history of the world, it was child's play to make a legend about her, borrowing the name of an old lover of hers, the actual Raven Queen.

Ah, Philippa, no matter what world it was, she was always so incredibly… arrogant, how could one be so smart and yet so utterly incompetent at the same time? Had any of her plans actually gone the way she expected?

All in all, agreeing to send one of her forms to play patron for grandfather's new Warlock gamer had turned out to be highly entertaining.

Lucas was such an adorable little thing, so well-meaning and with so much potential, but what was that saying about good intentions again?

She'd barely need to lure him off the righteous path, given his feelings towards this world, and watching him ruin that boring housewife was delicious. Her entire life's course changed just because Lucas didn't like that she cheered for a mage's death.

Her husband would die, killed in a fight when he caught her fucking some rough Skellige sailor, she'd be convinced to go back to Skellige with her paramour who could fuck her like she truly needed, to take her daughters with her, and when she got there?

She'd learn why so many women chose to throw themselves overboard rather than let the Skellige raiders take them alive, and she'd love every second of it.

Her daughters wouldn't.

An entire happy boring family, ruined by a single impulsive fuck. If Lucas had just bent her over and went 'wham, bam, thank you ma'am', Teresa would be able to forget her infidelity in time, but instead he ruined her, corrupting her like a true warlock.

And this was only the beginning, he'd corrupt the entire world and she barely needed to do anything other than give him the tools he needed to succeed.

I've finally started to use my pat reon for something, mostly I've just added some discord integration so that my pat reons can read early previews of chapters. This won't affect regular posting, but if you wanna read my works a day or two early then consider checking it out

Link: Pat reon. com/TheDarkWolfShiro