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TWL Chapter 452: Renaissance or Ruin
🕑 Added 2025-06-12 21:34:21 +0000 UTCA riot? Possibly even a rebellion? And in Redania, no less? Shapeshifting as he was, Chappelle nearly lost control of his disguise in shock,
A riot? Possibly even a rebellion? And in Redania, no less?
Shapeshifting as he was, Chappelle nearly lost control of his disguise in shock, almost reverting to his true doppler form.
Just how powerful was Redania's influence in the North? How strong was the country, really?
To put it plainly, although the Northern Kingdoms were often referred to as the 'Four Great Powers', the actual strength between nations varied considerably.
Kaedwen might have had the largest territory, but its vast land was sparsely populated. Ruled by someone like Henselt, an arrogant noble through and through, it had even enabled the spread of threats like the Scoia’tael across the North. Every king was just waiting for Henselt to doom himself through his own foolishness.
Aedirn had the shortest history. Though an agricultural powerhouse, it lagged in industry and trade, and its military was relatively weak. In the original timeline of the Nilfgaardian invasion, it was the first major nation to fall. King Demavend III even fled to Temeria seeking asylum.
Temeria was stronger than the above two in terms of economy and military industry. Foltest was one of the few true iron-fisted monarchs, and at one point became the Northern Kingdoms’ de facto face of leadership.
But compared to Redania, even Temeria seemed a step behind.
Since the current monarch’s ascension, Redania had been the only country in the North to see steady growth in comprehensive national power.
When Vizimir II first took the throne, Redania’s strength was more or less on par with the other three nations. But during his reign, he governed with diligence and foresight—on one hand, generously funding Oxenfurt Academy to gather the brightest minds of the North, and on the other, opening up Novigrad and encouraging commerce, turning it into the North’s largest port city.
Although both cities had, to varying degrees, gained semi-autonomous political status—especially Novigrad—the talent and tax revenue they brought in substantially boosted Redania’s overall strength. This, in turn, benefited its citizens, strengthened its military, and even led to the development of the North’s largest intelligence agency, capable of monitoring the slightest ripple across the entire region.
It could be said that while the other three kingdoms were still clinging to medieval feudalism, playing power games within their limited domains, Redania was already showing signs of a Renaissance, perhaps even an Age of Enlightenment.
Had Nilfgaard not interfered from the South, if things had continued as they were, Redania might very well have annexed the other three kingdoms and unified the North.
That was why, when Lann said that Novigrad would soon erupt into riots—maybe even open rebellion—Chappelle had been utterly stunned.
And Chappelle had no reason to doubt Lann. Beyond their personal closeness, Lann had, before even reaching twenty, already earned a name across the continent. Many had come to recognize his greatness, and among the people of Cintra, he was even spoken of in the same breath as the legendary 'Three Kings' of humanity who had overthrown the elven empires.
Chappelle trusted Lann’s information implicitly.
He shot to his feet, voice brimming with urgency. “Lann, who’s targeting Redania? Nilfgaardian spies? The Scoia’tael? Or has Henselt gone mad again? Could it be Temeria—?”
Before he could finish, Lann raised his hand casually.
“It’s Redania itself.”
It was as if someone had cast a Petrification Hex on Chappelle—he froze in place.
Lann stroked his chin.
“If I’m being strict about it… you could add me to the list too.”
Chappelle sat back down.
He picked up the glass in front of him and downed it in one go.
“Alright then, tell me exactly what you're planning.”
Lann tapped the table lightly with his fingers, then began to lay out Philippa’s plan in detail.
The doppler’s face changed color in a very literal, physical sense—his expression morphing constantly as he listened, until it finally settled.
Chappelle let out a long breath.
“A royal advisor assassinating the king… followed by a sorceress ruling the nation. You’re not just shifting Redania—you’re upending the entire Northern political structure. So soon, Philippa will become Redania’s de facto ruler? That’ll be a monumental change for both Novigrad and the Eternal Fire.”
He tapped his forehead.
“Especially for me. I wonder if a sorceress of her caliber could see through my disguise… You say you need my help. So—what exactly do you want me to do?”
Lann looked at Chappelle, who had been visibly unsettled ever since hearing the news, and smiled.
“I want you to fully take control of Novigrad—ignite the Eternal Fire across all of Redania. After Vizimir II is assassinated, I need you to support the ascension of Radovid V, and then teach him how to become a ‘proper’ king.”
“As for Philippa—don’t worry.” Lann raised his wine glass, covering his mouth with it. “She won’t be coming back from Thanedd Isle.”
Chappelle had just been about to refill Lann’s cup when his hand trembled, spilling wine all over his clothes.
“You…” His expression was a mix of shock and suspicion.
“I,” Lann confirmed with a nod.
Chappelle fell silent for a while.
“What exactly are you planning, Lann?” he asked at last. “With all due respect, you must’ve noticed I’m not much of a politician. My doppler instincts affect me—I genuinely desire peace. The original Chappelle was nothing more than a radical religious fanatic. He knew nothing about governance, let alone ruling a nation.”
“That’s alright. I’ll help you,” Lann replied with a soft chuckle. “Of course, everything I’m doing is ultimately to clear the path for Cintra—it’s overtly political. But you can look at it another way: by stepping into this role, you’ll be serving the people of Redania, keeping a deteriorating situation from spiraling into chaos.”
“You’ve seen the tragedy of Devil’s Pit for yourself. I can tell you now—Radovid will one day become a tyrant, every bit as ruthless as Henselt. And worse still, he’ll be a rational tyrant. Once he’s in power, he’ll never tolerate the current state of Novigrad. More people will die because of him.”
“I believe that if you’re the one to step in, you can help Redania pass through this storm with stability. And I won’t deny it—I have even greater ambitions ahead. But I also want to pursue them as peacefully as possible, preserving as much of the North’s strength as I can to face the enemies that lie ahead.”
“I believe in you, Chappelle.” Lann smiled. His amber lion’s eyes locked onto Chappelle. “Do you believe in me?”
…
No one knew how much time had passed, but the sun was already fading over Temple Isle.
Lann was being escorted out of the study by Chappelle.
“Leave it to me, Lann,” Chappelle promised solemnly.
Then, relaxing his expression, he asked, “So, what will you do now? Planning to spend a bit more time getting to know Novigrad?”
Lann shook his head. “Things between me and Vizimir II are a bit tense at the moment. Best not to show my face too much in Redanian territory. Besides, I’ve reaped far more than you’d expect this time—I need to head back and properly take stock.”
They chatted casually as they walked toward the meeting room. Lann had intended to round up the witchers—but to his surprise, only two people were inside the large chamber.
In that vast room, only Vesemir and Reinald remained, the two old men reminiscing over the history of the Wolf School. The elder wolf was still teary-eyed, comforted by the even older one.
“Where is everyone else?”
Hearing footsteps, Vesemir quickly wiped the corner of his eyes.
“The younger ones are full of energy,” he explained. “After hearing that Kiyan tried to recruit dopplers and succubus for Cintra and got turned down, they got curious and decided to go check it out for themselves.”
Some of the reasons might be debatable, but Lann knew exactly who had gone to see the succubus.
That said, compared to when he first left Novigrad, his need for these uniquely gifted nonhuman races had significantly diminished. The old fascination was no longer there.
“I get the others. But what about Geralt and Yennefer? Did they go too?”
“They didn’t join the fun,” Vesemir said with a smile, shaking his head. “But this is Novigrad, after all—there’s no shortage of temptations.”
Ah, so they went on a date.
Hopefully not the kind that ends at an inn...
Lann rubbed his temples. “And what about you two?”
Vesemir and Reinald exchanged a look.
Vesemir still hoped to return to Cintra soon to oversee the construction of the new witcher stronghold. Even if he were to take time off, the Countess Mignole was still waiting for him back there.
Reinald, on the other hand, was far more curious about the current state of the witcher brotherhood.
“Then I’ll leave Geralt and the others in your care. Consider it a well-earned break,” Lann said, turning to Chappelle. “Once they return, have Yennefer use the fixed-point teleportation circle here to send them back to Cintra.”
Chappelle readily agreed without hesitation.
