I'm not a Witcher anymore.

Chapter 134 Clegane, I'll give you a proposal you can't refuse.

"Gore, you can go back now and tell Lord Willie about my decision. Let him arrange accommodations first, and then assign tasks according to everyone's situation."

Gore bowed and replied, "Yes, Your Excellency Sieg."

He looked at Criggan and the refugees, his expression a mix of emotions.

Having served under Hawthorne II for so many years, he had witnessed far too much of the fickleness of human nature.

Those in power always treat their subordinates with condescension and arrogance; how could anyone be like Zieg?

Not only did he personally visit these refugees outside the city, but he also arranged jobs for them, provided them with food and lodging, and even considered their children's schooling.

Such a person is either a saint or —

Gore dared not think any further.

He only knew one thing: if Lord Willie told him to listen to Sieg, he would obediently listen.

This young man's background is definitely much more impressive than he appears.

After Gore left, Zieg continued.

"Crigan, as for you thirty-odd men, it's a waste to have you carrying sacks at the docks again. Would you rather go back to your old profession?"

Crigan hesitated for a moment: "Sir, you mean—"

"Back when we were still in Velen, I noticed that your wagons carried a blue flag with three lions; that was the flag of Sintra."

Zieg glanced at the hilt of Clegane's sword at his waist, and at the battle axes, spears, and warhammers held by the men standing behind him.

"And look at the weapons you're carrying; these aren't the weapons ordinary refugees would use."

"Crigan, you were soldiers in the Sintra Restoration Army, weren't you?"

"You can't fool your eyes after all." Clegane sighed deeply, finally admitting their true identities.

The Kingdom of Sintra was once one of the powerful northern kingdoms located on the south bank of the Yaruga River.

However, during the First Nilfgaardian War, it was occupied by the Nilfgaardians, the Queen and her husband of Cintra died for their country, and Princess Ciriah, the only princess in the kingdom with a legitimate right to inherit the throne, disappeared without a trace.

With the support of the northern kingdoms, Marshal Visekid rebuilt an army, this army dedicated to liberating Sintra...

Taking the restoration of their homeland as their mission, they were known as the Sintra Restoration Army.

The Sintra Restoration Army participated in the First and Second Nilfgaardian Wars, but regrettably, although the Northern Alliance inflicted heavy losses on the Nilfgaardians at the Battle of Brenner, the Northern Alliance also suffered significant losses, and based on their own interests, the Northern nations ultimately decided to abandon their plan to liberate Sintra.

Thus, the Second Nilfgaardian War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Sintra between the northern kingdoms and the Nilfgaardian Empire. The northern kingdoms recognized Emperor Emhyr as the rightful heir to Sintra. After losing the support of the northern kingdoms, the Sintra Restoration Army had no hope of restoring its nation and became an instant thorn in the side of the northern kingdoms.

Left with no other choice, some of the Restoration Army soldiers chose to return to Cintra and accept Nilfgaardian rule, while the rest went to Kovirpovis or the Henfoss League.

The survivors of Clegane's company were left in Temeria by King Foltest and settled in the temple district of Vigemar.

From then on, they laid down their weapons, picked up farming tools, married, and had children.

He thought he would live out his life like this, but unexpectedly, war broke out again.

The people of Clegane, who had lost their homeland, saw it clearly: the last time they were able to repel the Nilfgaardians, it was thanks to the Northern Alliance; now that the Northern kings had been assassinated one after another, no one could stop Nilfgaard's thunderous offensive.

Therefore, Clegane and others believed that the fall of Temuria was only a matter of time, which is why they took their wives, children, and elderly relatives and fled to Novigrad.

"Since you've seen through everything, I have nothing to hide from you, sir."

"We shed our blood for Sintra and fought for the Northern Alliance on the battlefield of Brenner, but those high and mighty kings ultimately discarded us like rags for shining boots."

"For us lost souls who don't even have a hometown, we've long forgotten how to write the word 'loyalty.' Now, apart from the old people, women, and children behind us, we have nothing left to protect."

"But you gave them a way to live, you gave them a future. This is something we couldn't get even if we gave our lives."

Clegane drew his longsword from his waist, held it upside down, knelt on one knee, and offered the hilt to Sieg.

With a series of synchronized metallic scraping sounds, the thirty-odd men all knelt on one knee.

"At your command, my lord," Clegane's voice was resolute. "The remnants of the Lionheart Company of the Sintra Restoration Army are at your disposal. Our swords, and our lives—are now yours."

People are ultimately different.

Dudu was once just a somewhat well-known professional manager. Although he had been operating in Novigrad for many years and had some connections and resources, his abilities were ultimately limited.

If he were to arrange a job for Zieg, he could at most find a position like a lumberyard guard, barely enough to make ends meet.

But the current Dudu is Hawthorne II, one of the four big bosses of the Novigrad Mafia.

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He controls one-sixth of the city's underground forces and has several hundred men under his command.

It couldn't be easier to place dozens of people into your own business.

It's just a matter of a word.

You don't need to worry about anyone's opinion, you don't need to owe anyone favors, and you don't even need to spend a penny more.

They were going to hire people to do the work anyway; now they've just changed the group of people.

That's the benefit of power.

Moreover, the returns from this deal were unimaginably high.

With just a little bit of shelter and a few dozen comfortable beds, Zig earned himself a company of absolutely loyal and highly capable veteran soldiers.

In the ruthless quagmire of Novigrad, even the most notorious gangsters and other bigwigs in the Syndicate have very few truly dangerous elites at their disposal.

Now, Zieg holds a truly sharp and swift knife in his hand.

The matter of the Sintra refugees has thus come to an end.

For the next few days, Sieg stayed at the Spear Cave tavern, waiting for news from Dudu.

The second thing he asked Dudu to find out—the whereabouts of Evan, Anna, and Tamara—wasn't progressing as fast as with the refugees in Clegane.

No news on the first day.

There was still no news the next day.

On the third day, there was still no news.

Zieg wasn't in a hurry.

He knew that Novigrad was a huge city with a large number of people coming and going every day.

On the fourth day, the news finally arrived.

But it was news that Zieg had not expected.