"Bury a crate of Oren coins in the ruins of the castle? Not for me, Geralt. Your colorful and thrilling career as a demon hunter has given you this little bit of barren imagination? ”

In the face of Lane's sarcasm, Geralt's face did not change.

In the past, he would not be able to fluctuate when the villagers spit on him when he took the job, but now it is even worse.

Sure enough, Lanne, who was sarcastic about Geralt, saw that he didn't refute and blow up the stab, and suddenly had a lot less fun.

"Okay." The young witcher shrugged.

"Remember, I'm a duke with a legal appointment?"

At the very beginning of the Battle of Soden, Haxso, the governor of the Sintra court, gave Lanne an appointment.

The coat of arms on it is rigorous and legal, showing unquestionable legitimacy.

Its appointment 'Rann of Sintra was the rightful duke recognized by Queen Caranther of Sintra from the date of his appointment'.

Speaking of the war, and Hackso, Lane and Geralt's voices were a little low.

But Lann was slightly better than Geralt, who was emotionally sensitive.

After participating in the war, he traveled to the New World, where the sincerity, enthusiasm, and miraculous nature healed his body and mind.

So Lan En just sighed, recalled, and then returned to normal.

"Sintra's territory was not brought back in the post-war negotiations, and Nilfgaard could not have spit it out. Now both the North and the South are exhausted, and no one wants to break the peace that followed the catastrophe. ”

"Foltest, on the other hand, have placed my knights in Temeria under the name of 'Knights of the Sintra Expatriate,' and a castle as a station."

"It's to woo you."

Geralt said calmly, although he was only a witcher, he had been involved in many court and political events, and many people liked his swordsmanship and wanted him to erase someone's neck at a banquet or meeting.

Therefore, I have seen more things as they are, and I have more insight into the appearance of things than ordinary people.

"Also to appease you."

It is a matter of course to win over this unrivaled force that can rampage in a great battle of more than 100,000 people.

Foltest was even jealous of the other northern kingdoms because of Ran's connections in the province of Willen in Temeria.

But on the other hand, no one wants to go to war again now.

The war of hundreds of thousands of people is unprecedented, and now the domestic economies of many countries show no signs of recovery.

After all, there are already too many people dead, and in an agrarian society, such a sudden decline in human resources is simply unacceptable.

Foltest was also afraid that Lann would be stimulated by the Nilfgaard Empire, which was temporarily subdued and lived in peace, because of his fiefdom.

"Yes."

Lanne nodded, and bluntly stated that Geralt had thought of it all.

"That's why he gave me and my knights a castle. That place is called High Hill Fort. ”

But accepting this castle doesn't mean that Lane is really at peace with Nilfgaard.

Is it possible for a classical militarist slave empire to be expected to reap the benefits of its expansion?

can't stop, but if you have the slightest thought of 'stopping', don't look at the fact that Enshir Enreis is now the emperor of the empire. It is called 'the white flame that dances on the grave of the enemy'.

But even if it was him, he would have to die if he dared to have this thought.

The whole empire will let him die.

Because if you don't expand outward, militarism will collapse. Whoever does not want to expand is the internal enemy of the entire empire.

It's a precious time of calm, but Lane believes. The people of Nilfgaard will not live in peace forever.

That's why he let Menno Kuhoun go in the first place.

Sooner or later, they will face each other again.

"The Knights of Ember received logistical support and financial support from Temeria."

Lan En said as he stroked the unicorn's mane.

"This was originally what I ordered them to accept in order to keep Folteste from panicking. That's a lot of money for a small order of just over sixty people. ”

"But now."

Speaking of this, Lan En's face was a little embarrassed.

Now he had to temporarily withdraw the less urgent funds of the Knights and fill the hole in his own capital chain.

"Oh, that's how you do it?"

Geralt also laughed and complained to Lane.

——

The Weilun region is not only damp and muddy swamps and miasma-filled forests, but also rugged and winding mountain peaks rise in the southern part of the region.

These peaks are not very high, and the highest Bald Mountain is only more than 500 meters above sea level, but the huge oak trees that grow on Bald Mountain are very conspicuous.

It is said that under the huge oak trees on Bald Mountain, there is also a nightly banquet held every year, and the theme of the banquet seems to be about the three witches of Willen folklore, and the scene is very lively.

The ancient castle that Foltest had given to the Knights was a distant distant view of Bald Mountain.

It was also originally a military post built on a hill, gaining a military advantage by taking advantage of the condescending terrain.

"Squeak!"

On the skyline where the mountain peaks meet the sky, a hairy griffin is flying in a circle, while the beak of a bird chirps sharply.

Geralt rode the turnip, and Lan En rode the unicorn, the flannel ball on Lan En's shoulder looking curiously at the sky.

They all stood in the shadow of the woods at the downwind outlet.

The two witches lifted the brim of their hoods slightly, looking at the griffin that was chirping to vent its energy.

The griffin was young, with thick tubes and black feathers with a tinge of gray.

The strong body was even enough to grab two armored soldiers and fly into the sky.

But neither for Rann nor for Geralt, it was no formidable opponent.

"The royal griffin, who has not yet found a companion for the rest of his life, a young and irascible bachelor."

In the shade of the tree, Lan En summed up the characteristics of the griffin in three or two sentences.

Geralt agreed with Lanne's observation.

"When it gets annoyed, it will fly away, so there's no need to entangle with it."

Both witchers were right, and the young griffons patrolling the territory flew away on their own.

The two continued their way up the hill.

The mountain of Willen should be called 'hillside' because it is not very high except for its ruggedness.

The difference in elevation of tens or hundreds of meters is slightly away from the humid moisture on the ground, and the air becomes fresh and humid.

The flowers and plants are also more vivid than on the flat ground.

The few streams that flow down from the mountains have been replaced by decaying wooden bridges, which are now significantly stronger and newer.

"Looks like your knights are comfortable living here?"

Geralt's pupils constricted, turning on the witcher's senses to track the trail.

"They're all amazing." Lan En didn't seem surprised, "Of course I'll get used to it." ”

In fact, if each member of the Order has a high degree of initiative, and also collectively discusses and decides collectively.

Then in front of this kind of team, the environment that cannot adapt will be pitiful.

From the moment the Ember Knights were born, they had always had a culture of using Lane as an example.

Even Lincoln, as a subordinate commander, was still a little kid at first, but later imitated Rann intentionally or unintentionally in everything he said and did.

They had now moved into a mountain castle in the Valen region, and they had not left themselves abandoned.

Along the way, the senses of the two witchers could clearly see the traces of the team's training, as well as the maintenance and repair of the road in their spare time.

This left Geralt at a loss, after all, he had never seen a soldier who had been specifically ordered to repair anything.

A soldier is approximately equal to a bandit with relatively strong combat effectiveness.

This is the norm and common sense in the magical Middle Ages.

Improvement of the environment and renovation of facilities around the station. Even the Knights are a bit too disciplined, right?

But Lan En was a natural look, after all, he had done this when he led the Ember Knights before.

Unconsciously, under the effect of the example, the Ember Knights are developing towards a familiar and reassuring appearance that makes Rann feel familiar.

The mountain is not high, and it is easy for the radish to walk along the repaired mountain path, and it is easier for the Kirin to be the one who is slowed down.

By the time the two witchers looked west on the hill and could faintly see the huge oak canopy on Mount Balder, they could also see a military fortress made of rock overhead.

Lann leaned over on the horse's back and grabbed Geralt's shoulder, not letting him go any closer.

Sure enough, the next moment

"Whoosh!"

A crossbow bolt burst out of the firing hole in the outer wall of the fortress.

According to the parabolic trajectory given by Mentos, the landing point should have grazed past Lann and then landed on the ground next to the unicorn's hooves.

But Lan's left hand suddenly blurred for a moment, and then when his left hand stopped again, the crossbow arrow was already spinning in circles in his hand.

"It's still the golden arrow of the magic block, heh, the vigilance is good."

Lann's fingers rubbed against the arrow, chuckling. He then raised his crossbow bolt and raised his voice towards the castle.

"It's me! Can't you solve the illusion in a different way next time?! ”

There was silence in the castle, and then a short but intense cheer.

The abrupt cheers startled even Geralt.

"I beg your pardon, my lord."

After the cheers, the sound of laughter and excitement came from the shooting hole.

"You're always coming and going, busy, but we're going to have to scrupulously check it!"

"Excuse me," Rann pouted, taking off his hood. "Makes me look like an enemy."

When the hood was lowered, Rann's hair 'flowed' down his hat like mercury, and his face was revealed.

The main body of the castle is similar to the crow's nest where Lan once went to the governor of Willen.

A thick wooden door five or six meters high opens from the inside.

Lan patted Geralt on the shoulder, and then rode the unicorn first, and walked towards the castle.

(End of chapter)