I'm not a Witcher anymore.

Chapter 150 Cheese Sandwich in Two Breads

It was late at night when the dinner ended.

Sparse torches burned in the corridors of Skaritz Castle, casting flickering shadows on the rough stone walls in their dim light.

István Toth climbed the narrow stairs, his long shadow looming over him.

He was assigned a room on the east side of the castle, which offered a superb view overlooking half of the mining town.

Pushing open the door, one could see that the fireplace in the room had already been lit by the servants, and the flickering flames made the small room warm and cozy.

Istvan closed the door, walked to the window, and lifted a corner of the curtain to look outside.

Below the hillside, the lights of the town of Skaritz twinkled like scattered gold dust on a black velvet cloth.

Further away, in the direction of the silver mine, a few moving lights could be faintly seen, indicating that the night watchmen of the mine were patrolling.

His Majesty Sigismund is right. With the silver veins of Skaritz, the invincible Hungarian army can remain in Bohemia for much longer and maintain its rule over the region.

István lowered the curtain and turned to walk toward the fireplace.

He stretched out his hands, letting the flickering flames warm his somewhat stiff knuckles, and a smug smile gradually appeared on his lips.

His infiltration of Skarlitz went much more smoothly than he had anticipated.

That Radji is an absolute idiot.

She actually believed him so easily.

Not only did they believe him, they also treated him with great hospitality, showing him around the castle's defenses.

Each piece of this intelligence is priceless.

Istvan pulled a palm-sized parchment notebook from his pocket; it contained his collection from this period of time.

The city's defensive layout, garrison size, food reserves, approximate silver mine output, and the routes and schedules for transporting silver convoys —

All these secrets are now neatly recorded in this seemingly ordinary booklet in the form of encrypted symbols.

Radji probably never dreamed that he had personally nurtured a venomous snake that was now lurking beside his bed.

Václav actually let such an idiot manage Skarlitz —

Istvan shook his head, his eyes full of disdain.

But on second thought, it makes perfect sense.

After all, Václav himself was a complete idiot, and it's only natural for an idiot to trust another idiot.

I heard that when His Majesty the King was under house arrest in Vienna, he would drink three large jugs of wine every day and spend time with several palace maids until the sun was high in the sky before getting up.

Such a monarch deserves to be replaced.

But tonight's events took an unexpected turn.

Duke of Görlitz.

The sudden appearance of the young duke completely disrupted his original plans.

As per His Majesty Sigismund's plan, Istvan's mission was singular: to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of Skarlitz and pave the way for a future invasion by a large army.

As for Radji himself, he was nothing more than an insignificant little fish. Once His Majesty's iron hooves trampled this land, he would naturally kneel down and wag his tail in pleas for mercy.

But the Duke of Görlitz was different.

That was Charles IV's grandson, the orphan of the Duke of John, and the heir with the purest bloodline of the Luxembourg royal family.

This young man possessed not only the title of a duchy, but also an indisputable claim to the Bohemian throne.

If we let him escape back to Görlitz, if we let him raise the banner of "legitimate heir" and shout slogans—

Istvan dared not think any further.

Those wavering, opportunistic nobles, those discontented minor lords—they might not dare openly oppose Sigismund's army, but if a "legitimate heir to the throne" were to step forward—

The situation is completely different now.

Fortunately, this Duke of Görlitz was easier to deal with than he had imagined.

He recalled the details of the dinner party.

That young man was indeed handsome, incredibly good-looking, and had a certain aristocratic air about him.

But that's it.

István had seen countless people, and he saw too many flaws in Zieg's words and actions.

This duke is too young, almost childish.

When István delivered his speech about the Hungarian opposition, he clearly saw a flash of excitement and impulse in Sieg's eyes.

That eagerness to accomplish something great almost overflowed from his eyes.

What a typical young aristocrat!

They thought they could change the world with their noble blood and passion, but they didn't know that the world was built on conspiracy, betrayal and cold-bloodedness.

Such people are the easiest to deal with.

The firelight illuminated István's face, dividing his angular features into two halves of light and shadow.

He slowly closed the parchment notebook, put it back in his pocket, and began to plan how to report this unexpected gain to His Majesty Sigismund.

Originally, His Majesty only wanted the silver mine in Skaritz.

Now, however, a genuine Duke of Görlitz has come knocking on our door.

This is simply double happiness!

As long as the duke is taken hostage, without even using force, simply by finding a way to "invite" him to the Hungarian court, the entire Duchy of Görlitz will have no choice but to obediently bow down to His Majesty.

Although Görlitz is not as wealthy as Bohemia, its strategic location is irreplaceable. It is the northern gateway to Bohemia and controls the trade lifeline to Poland and the Baltic Sea.

Once Görlitz is brought under control, His Majesty can form a pincer movement with the southern Hungarian mainland, like a giant iron clamp trapping Bohemia in the middle.

At that time, those imperial princes who were still observing will also see the wind and switch sides one after another.

And what about yourself?

A glint of greed flashed in Istvan's eyes.

As a meritorious official who has rendered such outstanding service to the royal family, His Majesty Sigismund will surely bestow upon him commensurate honor.

A fortified castle guarding a trade route? A fertile hereditary fief? Or a count's title that inspires envy and madness in others?

Perhaps—one of the three?

Istvan grew increasingly excited, as if he could already see gold and power beckoning to him.

He had even been pondering in his mind how to begin the urgent secret letter in elegant and humble Latin to be worthy of this great gift to the king.

He could almost see Sigismund's expression as he unfolded the parchment in Kutenberg, and he could see the monarch known as the "Red Fox" raising his glass at a grand banquet, reading out the decree of commendation for István in front of all the Hungarian Magyar nobles.

He was so engrossed in this wonderful fantasy that he didn't notice a barely audible footstep approaching in the hallway outside the door.