The Witcher: Make the Witcher Great Again

The workers at Pine Crest used the leftover scraps from logging to make charcoal, so the kilns were built right next to the lumber camp. The charcoal-making had just begun, and a foul, pale yellow smoke billowed from the dome-shaped kilns like a volcanic eruption.
Unfortunately, the stench didn't mask the smell of death hanging over the clearing.
Keira dismounted, a magical glow appearing on her hand, ready to cast a spell. Lynn also dismounted, drawing his sword. The other soldiers split into two teams: one followed Keira and Lynn on foot, and the other remained on guard outside the village.
By the kilns, they found the first body. Its head and feet were missing, and blood was splattered on the dirt covering the kiln. Not far away lay three more mutilated, unrecognizable corpses. Their blood had seeped into the highly absorbent sandy soil of the forest, leaving behind only dark stains.
In the center of the clearing, a fireplace was made of stones. Two more bodies lay beside it, a man and a woman. The man's throat had been savagely torn open, his cervical vertebrae clearly visible. The woman's upper body was lying in the embers of the fire, covered in spilled grain from a pot. A child lay near a woodpile a little further away, also dead.
"Those bastards didn't even spare a child." The soldiers who saw the scene were all filled with indignation. Even Lynn, who had seen much, looked grim.
"Humans are always like this. They never hold back against their own kind. Any excuse is enough to start a slaughter," Keira explained at his side. She pointed with her pale hand. "See those indentations? Those are from the border markers. We're still several li from the original border between Temeria and Redania, but the Redanian markers were put here instead."
"This family must have refused to pay taxes to the Redanians, and that's why they were killed."
A soldier asked in a puzzled voice, "Isn't King Vizimir of Redania known as 'the Just'? I heard that it was under his rule that Redania became the strongest nation in the North."
"What he's doing now has nothing to do with being just," Lynn said, answering the soldier instead of Keira. "A man who is called an enlightened ruler in his own country might be a butcher, an executioner, or a demon in another."
Keira nodded. "Vizimir is betting that King Foltest won't react too strongly. The two countries are fighting over the territory of the former Kingdom of Embryonia, and the people living here are its original inhabitants."
"Vizimir knows full well that he's killing and robbing the original inhabitants of Embryonia, not Foltest's base of power. So, he knows that Foltest won't declare war on Redania over this."
"Of course, that's only if we can catch those bastards. Otherwise, Temeria will just have to swallow this bitter pill."
"Bounty hunter, I'm counting on you."
"Alright, everyone spread out." Lynn waved for the others to back away, then activated his witcher senses, meticulously examining every inch of the ground.
This place was relatively remote. It was close to Velen, a province that neither Temeria nor Velen had developed much. It wasn't a mandatory route for travelers heading to either Fyke Isle or Vizima. Therefore, besides the family that lived here, not even traveling merchants came this way.
It wasn't hard to find the tracks of the Redanians. With his witcher senses activated, the footprints of the group stood out to Lynn as if they were highlighted in red.
The witcher waved to the others, motioning for them to follow him. The group went back to their horses, circled around, and followed the tracks.
An hour later.
"Wait, everyone stop."
Lynn suddenly raised his right hand. The Temerian soldiers following him were all startled and drew their swords, scanning their surroundings. But in the forest, there was nothing but the sound of the wind and the warm sunlight. Only Keira rode closer.
"What did you find?"
"There are people up ahead, and quite a few of them." With his witcher senses activated, Lynn could hear the sound of breathing in the distance. A few hundred meters away, there were more than twenty people.
Keira muttered a spell, casting a sensing spell on herself. Her eyes shone with a bright magical light. She, too, saw the people. But instead of being surprised, Keira was pleased. "Is it those Redanians?"
Lynn nodded. "It must be them. But they have a sorcerer with them. If we rush in, we'll take heavy losses."
He quickly came up with an idea. "You all set up an ambush here, and I'll go lure them over."
Anyone King Vizimir sent to cause trouble must be an elite. The enemy outnumbered them. Rushing in would not only cause casualties but might also allow the enemy to escape. If they ran, they would be on alert. It would be much harder to catch them all at once. Besides, even Keira couldn't casually sacrifice these soldiers loyal to Foltest as cannon fodder.
So, Keira agreed to Lynn's plan. However, while her status and power were high, she wasn't the kind of woman who took other people's sacrifices for granted. She cast a levitation spell and a protective charm on Lynn, then instructed him again.
"You shouldn't feel the weight of the plate armor now, because I used a levitation charm on you that cancels it out. The protective charm can block at least one powerful magical attack from a high-level sorcerer, or ten physical strikes."
"I owe you one. Be careful, and don't die."
Next to the lumber camp was a thatched-roof farmhouse and a few shacks. The faint sounds of loud barking, the clucking of frantic poultry, children's screams, women's shouts, and curses drifted through the air. Chicken feathers flew everywhere. One heavily armored soldier was tying a hen to his saddle. Another whipped a farmer who was curled up in a ball on the ground. A third soldier was tearing at a woman's clothes, her garments already in tatters. A child clung to her side.
"Hey!"
A sudden shout rang out. The soldier stopped what he was doing in confusion and looked in the direction of the voice. At the edge of the trees, a figure stood with a longsword and plate armor. The soldier viciously threw the woman to the ground and warned his companions, "Someone's coming."
The other two soldiers stopped their actions and walked forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with their companion.
"One guy? A warrior? Where did he come from?"
"Who cares where he came from? That plate armor must be worth a fortune. Kill him and strip it off."
"Wearing a suit of armor and carrying a sword, thinking he's some kind of hero. Hahaha, I love a fool like this."
The three soldiers mocked him, one after another. Through the slit in his visor, Lynn glanced at the farmer with the bruised and swollen face and the woman whose clothes were in tatters. Then, he looked back at the three soldiers. "While you still have a chance to breathe, get out!"
"You little punk, who the hell are you talking to? You have a death wish?"
"I said, get out!"
A dozen heavily armored riders burst out of the woods behind the house. One of them, however, held a magical staff instead of a lance or saber.
......
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