Lynn lowered his Kovir longbow, confirming with his witcher senses that there were no living souls left in the farmhouse. However, to be safe, he still entered the farmhouse to check the situation.

When he found Jaeger, an arrow through his head, he couldn't help but feel a surge of good fortune. His original plan had been to kill every last Jaeger faction member at the abandoned farm so that no one would know he was responsible.

But Jaeger dying here was, of course, an even better outcome. This meant that even if there were any remaining Jaeger faction members, without Jaeger, the faction would quickly be swallowed up by other gangs.

Afterward, Lynn searched the bodies in the farmhouse. Most had little money. Only on Jaeger's body did he find several Vivaldi Bank cashier's checks. A simple calculation showed they totaled several thousand Novigrad crowns. Lynn put them into his magically enchanted leather pouch.

"Thanks for nature's bounty."

He then headed towards one of the other two barns. As he approached the door of one barn, even before pushing it open, he could already smell the stench of blood wafting from inside. He first activated his witcher senses, but didn't detect a single breath. Without further hesitation, he kicked open the barn door.

Instantly, a concentrated stench of blood, putrefaction, and other indescribable odors, mixed together, assaulted him. It was strange; although a witcher's senses were enhanced and far more acute than an ordinary person's, their resistance to foul smells seemed to be stronger.

For instance, the stench emanating from this barn now would likely overwhelm even an ordinary person wearing a mask. But Lynn, apart from perceiving it as extremely foul, felt little discomfort.

Of course, these weren't the main points. More than that, the shocking sight inside the barn captured the witcher's attention.

The barn was a slaughterhouse. Congealed, dried blood was everywhere. Flies buzzed wildly. Corpses hung upside down like cured meat. Every body bore obvious marks of having been butchered. A more detailed description simply couldn't be given.

In truth, Lynn had seen such horrifying and disgusting sights before. Bodies gnawed by ghoulish creatures often looked like this. But the marks on these hanging corpses were clearly not teeth marks or gnawing marks; they were cuts from knives and swords. This meant that those who had done this were not monsters, but humans. Or perhaps, "monsters" wearing human skin.

The clothes on the bodies were not local attire; they must have been Roche's companions. Unfortunately, none of those in the barn were alive. Fortunately, Roche was not among them.

Lynn retreated from the barn and ignited it with an Igni Sign. It was the only thing he could do for these fallen victims.

In the other barn, Lynn fortunately found the person he was looking for.

"Vernon Roche?"

Deep within the barn, there was a wooden cage, and inside the cage was a man amidst widespread excrement. The man in the cage couldn't clearly see the interrogator's face, only a pair of glowing cat-like eyes in the dim barn: "Who's speaking?"

"A witcher. You can call me Lynn."

As he spoke, Lynn's hands didn't stop. With a flash of cold steel, Lynn carved a square opening in the wooden cage that held the man.

"Can you still move? Do you need me to help you out?"

"No need."

The man struggled out of the wooden cage, stumbling towards the barn door, the only source of light. When he emerged from the barn, he instinctively shielded his eyes with his hands. It took him a good while to adjust to the outside environment.

And when he saw the dead Jaeger faction members, especially Jaeger's corpse, his eyes widened in shock.

"You did all this alone?"

"What, you don't believe it?"

"No, I believe it."

From the location and orientation of the fallen bodies, Roche could discern whether they had encountered one enemy or a group. Then, he noticed the burning barn.

"I hope you don't mind. This is the wilderness. If their bodies aren't burned, this place will quickly attract necrophages."

Roche nodded. He inhaled deeply of the fresh air, his mood incredibly complex. Don't misunderstand. He was, of course, filled with gratitude for Lynn. It was just... the guilt of his companions all being dead while he alone survived left him so suffocated he felt he couldn't breathe.

Suddenly, a hand rested on his shoulder, making him momentarily freeze.

"This isn't your fault." Lynn looked directly into Roche's eyes and repeated, "This isn't your fault."

An hour later, Lynn and Roche left the farm and returned to the "Spearhole" tavern in Novigrad.

"I owe you my life, sir. I will find a way to repay you." Roche sat opposite Lynn. He had already showered and changed into clean clothes, and his beard and stubble were cleanly shaven. His entire appearance and demeanor were revitalized.

Lynn nodded, getting straight to the point: "Actually, if you're willing, I happen to have a job for you."

Vernon Roche, in the original story, was plucked from the gutter by King Foltest. He was given the authority to form a special unit dedicated to combating the Scoia'tael active within Temeria. This unit later became the famed "Blue Stripes." \\

In return for King Foltest's patronage, Roche and his men followed King Foltest in battles across the land. Even after King Foltest's assassination and the Nilfgaardian occupation of the Kingdom of Temeria, he did not surrender like other nobles. Instead, he fought to the bitter end against the Nilfgaardians in the forests, fields, and hills, much like the Scoia'tael they once fought.

It was this very loyalty that Lynn valued in Roche. Roche's capabilities were beyond doubt. Even after Temeria had been occupied by Nilfgaard, Roche continued to lead his men, causing considerable trouble for the Nilfgaardians.

So much so that Nilfgaard had to offer exceptionally generous terms, unlike those offered to other conquered regions, to quell Temeria's incessant resistance movement.

Because Lynn was so well aware of Roche's abilities, he also needed Roche to establish a special unit. If the Syndicate was the eyes hidden in the shadows, then Roche's special unit would be the sharp blade hidden within them.

He would give Roche some time to recover fully. Once Roche was well-rested, he would divide the beggars recruited by the Syndicate in half, assigning one half to Roche's command, so that this hidden blade could be utilized to its fullest potential.

....

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