Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 1666 1638. Message from Baihua Valley
"Hays of Lepe? How much did he pay for his nephew?"

Iorveth nodded, beginning to become somewhat interested.

But Goodwin's response made him furious again: "To be honest, I don't know. But if the deal is settled, Lord Hayes can directly transfer a bill of exchange from the dwarf's Sion Vanlini Bank."

"Don't know?!" Iorveth even thought that this short-lived human was playing a trick on him. "You come to redeem someone, but you don't know how much you have to pay?!"

"I didn't even know you had captured them!" Goodwin shouted angrily, "I came here to tell the two young men that their families had found more promising positions for them! They were planning to transfer them away!"

"This is Aedirn. I was very worried at first, thinking they would most likely be captured by the Kaedweni. Who knew they would fall into the hands of you, a group of people who don't know who you are?"

"Oh my goodness, Cliff! I heard the Kaedwens are rude and violent, but now I'd rather leave them in Kaedwen hands! At least they'll be more listenable!"

"Your behavior and your statements are suspicious, Father." Iorveth shook his head. "Why do I think you are more like a Kaedwen spy now? Perhaps I should put you in the same cell with those two guys?"

Goodwin then angrily added, "Great! Hurry up and lock me up with them! At least I can confirm their safety and status at that time! Instead of wasting time with you mysterious guys!"

"Four of you! Four of you! Standing in front of me, I can only look into the eyes of a one-eyed elf! Four of you can't even close your eyes!"

At this point, Lan En could hardly hold back and burst out laughing under his cloak.

But he managed to hold himself back in the end and maintained a calm atmosphere.

"Since he's asking for that," Lan said from the side, "then lock him up with those two people."

"Varied"

Goodwin's very old face was suddenly filled with astonishment. He had just said those words out of anger, and wanted to provoke those in charge to see if he could get an impulsive response.

I didn't expect that I would really be detained?
It was a coincidence that I arrived in Vergen at this time and learned that Hans and Henry had been captured.

If it's not a coincidence, there are many people who have never heard from them since the war! Without any news, even if the nobles want to pay the ransom, they don't know where to pay it!
From this perspective, if they really detained me, would they still want the ransom?
And if he really doesn't want the ransom, then his life and the lives of those two guys would be in danger!
Goodwin subconsciously wanted to grasp the hilt of the half-sword at his waist.

But next to him, Stuart seemed to have seen through the man's body movements long ago, and even pressed his hand faster than him.

In this way, Goodwin clearly understood that the swordsmanship that he was proud of might not rank well here.

But swordsmanship is one thing. As a priest serving Sky Father Cliff, he is still quite good at it.
A flash of lightning was flashing between the fingertips of Stuart's hand.

Lan En only felt that the roaring bear head necklace on his neck was suddenly pulled.

But then, the silver necklace fell silent.

Lan patted Margarita's shoulder, and the sorceress chuckled.

Goodwin seemed to be suddenly stiff all over, and after a second he suddenly began to gasp for breath.

Then he looked at the four people around him who couldn't even put their eyes together with a pair of eyes, but he didn't know who to lock his eyes on.

But he no longer resisted. He obediently handed over his sword, knife and other belongings, and followed Stuart to the place where he was imprisoned.

"That lightning is Cliff's power."

Lan En said this, turning to look at Margarita with interest.

"Cliff is the Father of the Sky, who violently upholds justice and punishes evil. Thunder and lightning are elements that often appear in his image. But you can even counter Father Cliff's spells?"

"It's not that complicated. It's mainly because he's not that powerful." The sorceress shook her head modestly, which was uncharacteristic of her.

"The devout of Cliff can obtain the power of thunder and lightning. However, because the manifestation is not much different from magic, they cannot tell the difference within the church. In order to avoid warlocks sneaking into the church to attract attention, they often do not regard this power as a symbol of faith."

This is the relevant knowledge that Margarita has only learned in recent years. Before Dishaya saw her shortcomings and reminded her, she had no interest in knowing these "ignorant and superstitious" things.

"So is he a sorcerer? Or a devout one?"

Facing Iorveth's question, Margarita shrugged: "I've already said it, even the church can't tell the difference, how can I know them better than they know themselves?"

"We can even think about it in a more horrifying way. Maybe the first person in Cliff's church who claimed to have the power of thunder and lightning was just a lousy sorcerer? Cliff never existed, or he never gave his believers power?"

Iorveth didn't dare to respond.

The ideas and personality of a sorceress are often regarded as "heretical" in this era. It is unbearable.

"What about Goodwin and those two guys?" After being choked back by Margarita, Iorveth changed the subject and looked at Lan En.

The demon hunter was very relaxed: "Just like I said before, let them go and get the ransom. The atmosphere between Kaedwen and Nilfgaard is already tense to the limit, what impact can these three have?" "When Cassandra returns with the team this time, we won't have to let them attack again. Then these three people can be released."

After simply setting the tone for the three people from Nasser, Lan En and the others walked towards the underground warehouse where the portal was placed.

The underground warehouse is quite lively today, with many dwarves, humans, and gnomes busy as if they were working on a construction site.

Sakia gathered with the craftsmen with the best skills and techniques among them and discussed in low voices.

Sakia also attached great importance to the fixed portal. After all, it meant that the town they had captured was actually connected to Aretusa.

So even though this huge underground warehouse was basically the most solid and secure room in the city of Vergen, she still wanted to further reinforce the soil, passages, and walls.

When the portal itself is not activated, it is as inconspicuous as an arch pattern on the brick wall in the dim underground warehouse, so there is no need to worry about being noticed.

Margarita was originally ready to leave at the busy construction site, but now seeing the situation, she had to wait until the insurgents who were working on the site had their lunch break.

"Now, in the southeastern part of Aedirn, Francesca Findabel's Dol Bretanna has been established."

The sorceress spoke to the one-eyed elf seemingly nonchalantly.

"That's the autonomous kingdom that Emhyr granted to the elves. It's so close, haven't you thought about going over to take a look, Iorveth?"

"You can ask me directly about my attitude towards Francesca and the kingdom she founded, ma'am."

Iorveth looked at Margarita openly, without any shyness or concealment.

As frankly as that night in the Pontar Valley, next to the rose garden in the elven ruins.

"She is now an outright traitor in the eyes of you northern warlocks. But in the eyes of the elves and the Scoia'tael, she should be a hero. This is what worries you: the traitor you hate is not so hateful from the perspective of people like us."

"But I might as well be frank," Iorveth's single eye drifted back and forth between Lan and Margarita, "I don't think Francesca can succeed."

"Dor Bretaner, translated from the ancient language, means 'Valley of Flowers'." Iorveth showed a trace of sad sarcasm on his face, "That should be a compliment to a place where life flourishes. But now it's just a joke."

"Before the land was divided among the Elves, the Aedirnites who had settled there spread salt on the ground, placed the stinking carcasses of livestock in the water sources, and lit mountain fires before they left."

"They would rather destroy this place before it is taken by the elves, just as we abandoned our town to the human army hundreds of years ago."

"But this is nothing. If the Nilfgaardians can lend a helping hand, or if the elves can be allowed to settle down in peace for a few years, these destructions will be nothing more than a minor matter."

"But the key question is: What kind of elves are those who heard the news of the elven autonomous kingdom and traveled thousands of miles to seek refuge with Francesca?"

Iorveth sneered.

"Humph, those elves still look young, handsome, and beautiful, but they are actually already old and have no ambition."

"It's even better to say that they don't have the ambition, they don't even have the most important thing - the ability to reproduce!"

"The Valley of Flowers has now become the 'Valley of Infertile Elders'!"

Iorveth looked at Margarita seriously and earnestly.

"I know very well that the elves cannot have a future there! When the news of the establishment of an autonomous kingdom of elves in Baihua Valley came, there was indeed a commotion within our rebel army, but I personally explained and publicized it, and finally suppressed it."

"I have had a frank discussion with Sakia about this matter, and I can talk to you now. As long as you feel at ease, I can also talk to any wizard in Eritusari who has doubts over and over again! This is not a problem, as long as you can trust us!"

Margarita nodded slightly under her hood, but because she couldn't see her expression, Iorveth didn't know whether it was an acknowledgement or she was thinking.

Margarita had no intention of speaking out about this. Trust, loyalty, and whether the goal was still firm. Such things would be too thin if they were expressed with words alone.

Ultimately, it all depends on future actions.

Margarita did not respond to Iorveth, but turned to Lan and told him a piece of news.

"Your sudden disappearance for so long in this area of ​​Velen has begun to make some people a little uneasy."

The demon hunter who was sitting next to him and had not interrupted him just now did not seem surprised at this moment.

"Normal." Lan En said calmly, "But what's the matter with you saying that?"

"An invitation for you has been sent to High Hill Castle." Margarita spread her hands, indicating that this was a verbal message. "Dijkstra of Redania invites you to go to Kovir with him."

(End of this chapter)