Chapter 394 - 394: Torn Between Two Choices

Once freed from her cage, Balbina showered Victor with gratitude. Right there on the spot, she laid a golden egg and gave it to the witcher, then loaded the magical harp and her luggage onto her back and set off to find a new home.

Since it was on the way anyway, Victor simply escorted them back to the beanstalk. Afterward, he reunited with Syanna, and the two headed together toward the Cloud Giant's castle.

As they walked, Victor recounted what had happened earlier. When they reached the drawbridge, he pointed at the enormous hole blown through its planks.

"For a creature from a fairy-tale world, that Cloud Giant was surprisingly difficult to deal with... and that thunder hammer was downright lethal."

Syanna shook her head and sighed.

"What a shame. Thor used to be a kind giant. This land has gone completely mad... but I never imagined things had deteriorated this badly."

"No matter how tragic things become in the Land of a Thousand Fables, they're still illusions. Magic can repair them. But out there in Beauclair, there are still plenty of real, irreversible wounds being inflicted."

The Magic Bean Expedition had lasted nearly a week and was finally about to fulfill its purpose. With the exit now close at hand, Victor couldn't help becoming emotional.

Yet the instant the words left his mouth, he realized he had misspoken.

Sure enough, Syanna fell into a deathly silence.

Without another word, they walked to the rear courtyard of the castle.

Syanna sat beside a well.

"This is it, Vic. All we have to do is jump into the well and we'll be back... You first?"

Hearing her words, the witcher rubbed the back of his neck, unsure what to say.

But he did not move.

He still had not decided what to do.

Once they jumped back into the real world, they would head for Tesham Mutna and meet Dettlaff.

Syanna did not know what would happen there.

Victor did.

The enraged vampire would kill the princess.

He had not decided whether he should save her.

Nor was he certain whether he even could.

If he allowed the killing to happen, the Night of Long Fangs would end, and he would not have to fight Dettlaff. The price was that he would probably have to flee Toussaint that very night, because Anna Henrietta would unquestionably turn against him over her sister's death.

If he prevented the killing, Dettlaff would immediately fly into a rage. Victor would have to kill Dettlaff one-on-one before the Night of Long Fangs could truly end.

The difficulty with that choice was simple.

Could he actually win?

Things had reached this point, and Syanna certainly bore responsibility.

But was she really the only one responsible?

Dettlaff had been deceived, and having his heart broken was undoubtedly painful, but unleashing the Night of Long Fangs had crossed every possible line.

He was directly responsible for it.

Anna Henrietta was protecting the dignity of her duchy. In this country, she was the law. Even if Syanna were put on trial, there would technically be nothing wrong with the duchess choosing to pardon her sister.

But would that truly be right?

And in this strangely emotional moment, Victor even realized that he himself bore some indirect responsibility.

Dettlaff's timely appearance at Dun Tynne Castle had very likely happened because Regis had revealed information he otherwise should not have known.

And Regis had known because of Victor's foresight.

On top of that, the entire sequence of the Five Virtues Murders had been brought forward by several years.

Tracing the chain of cause and effect all the way back to its beginning, absurdly enough, it was because Victor had saved Leo's life at Kaer Morhen.

Countless complicated thoughts warred inside his mind.

If he chose to save Syanna, could he defeat Dettlaff?

If he simply allowed the princess to be killed...

He did not want to do that.

For once, the witcher was truly lost and confused, uncertain which choice he should make.

A fair, slender hand waved in front of his face, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"What's wrong?"

Syanna's blue eyes studied Victor's hesitation as she asked softly.

"I... I was thinking about something. I want this story to have a happy ending. For me, for you, for everyone."

"Heh. Knight Corion, you're clever enough to see through my plans, but you're still too young. You make things sound too simple. Where in this world could you possibly find a happy ending that satisfies everyone?"

The princess gave him a radiant smile.

Noticing the disagreement written clearly across the young man's face, she blinked.

"I don't know what's going on inside that head of yours, but since we're apparently in no hurry to leave, why don't we stay one more night?"

Victor pursed his lips, then nodded in agreement before turning and walking away.

...

Reality is a terrible game.

An ideal world can only be sought inside games.

But if you can still find something ideal even inside a terrible game, then perhaps reality also has a path leading toward that ideal.

And I can do it.

I know I can.

I've seen the ending.

Keima Katsuragi, The World God Only Knows

...

By the time the sun went down, night had fallen.

There was no moon tonight.

Victor lay alone atop the clouds, staring upward at stars so impossibly bright that not the slightest thing obscured them.

It was eternally spring in the Land of a Thousand Fables, but its night sky imitated the real stars. Thus, the brightest sight currently hanging across the heavens was none other than the Winter Maiden high above.

Several hours passed.

He still had not found an answer.

The light footsteps approaching belonged to Syanna.

She walked over to the witcher, removed her cloak, spread it over the clouds, and lay down beside him. A faint fragrance of citrus and lemon drifted from her body.

The princess gazed at the night sky as well.

"Hey, Vic. Can you tell me what you're struggling with...? Weren't you completely determined before to deliver me to Dettlaff as quickly as possible, so he'd spare Beauclair?"

...

Easy for you to say when you don't know the truth.

You're not going there simply to meet Dettlaff.

You're walking straight to your death.

Victor glanced sideways at the fragrant woman beside him, who remained blissfully unaware of how close she was to dying, then turned his gaze back toward the stars without answering.

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