Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 1692. Approaching
The female apprentice stood motionless in front of the high priestess, her back straight, her body tense, silent, her face slightly pale. They were ready to set off, without missing any details.

They wore gray men's travel clothes, warm but relatively loose coats, and comfortable elf boots. They changed their hairstyle and cut their hair short so as not to affect their work and to facilitate traveling day and night when necessary.

Their small backpacks contained only food and travel necessities; everything else would be provided by the army they volunteered to join.

There were rumors that the Nilfgaardians were advancing on Vizima, but since they were starting from Elland, they would at least be able to arrive there before them.

The two girls looked calm, at least on the surface.

The wind blew through the bare branches of the temple courtyard, and the dead leaves fell to the ground. The sky was indigo blue, and snowflakes were floating in the air. People could even smell the snow.

Nenneke broke the silence. “Have you all been assigned tasks?”

"I haven't yet." Yuniide whispered, "I'm going to spend the winter in a camp near Vizima. The propaganda specialist said that several mercenary troops will come from further north. I will serve as the military doctor for those troops."

"I have received a mission," Aurora II said with a pale smile, "to serve as an assistant to the military doctor Milo Van der Beck."

“I trust you will not bring dishonor upon me.” Nenneke looked at the two priestesses with a stern, concerned look. “You will not bring dishonor upon me, the temple, or the name of the great goddess Melitele.”

"Of course not, Mammy."

"Remember, get enough sleep every day."

"Yes, Mammy."

"You will be busy from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed, taking care of the wounded every day, and having trouble sleeping. You will begin to doubt and be afraid to face pain and death. Then you will find that using anesthetic powder and stimulants can help you escape. So be careful."

"We know, Mammy."

"War, fear, murder and blood," the high priestess's eyes pierced through the two of them, "can corrupt people's morals, and for some people, these are powerful aphrodisiacs."

"You little brats won't understand now. So, promise me to be cautious. If it comes to that, remember to use contraception. If one of you really wins the lottery, don't go to those quacks or village women! Go to the temple. It would be even better if you can find a sorceress."

"We know, Mammy."

"That's it. It's time to bless you."

She placed her hands on each of their heads in turn, hugged and kissed them.

Eunice sniffed. Aurora II began to cry. Nenneke's eyes also shone with tears, but she snorted.

"Don't be so exaggerated," she said sharply, even angrily, "it's just the last battle. You will be back. Take your things with you. Goodbye."

They left the temple with brisk steps, never looking back. Sister Nenneke and Triss Merigold, who had remained silent, watched them go.

The Meliteli Temple in Elland has a special status. In addition, Triss knew the extraordinary relationship between this temple, the witchers, and her lover, so she came to say hello in person during the war.

“Are they really approaching Vizima?” Nenneke turned and looked seriously at the sorceress who was barely hiding her fatigue. “They’re advancing too fast! Aren’t they afraid of being cut off?”

"You won't believe the advance capability they have demonstrated." Triss pushed her burgundy hair behind her ears, her expression solemn and tired, "They have follow-up troops to ensure that their retreat is unobstructed."

"Although those follow-up troops are not strong, as long as they hold on for a while, their strongest vanguards can turn around and take out the enemy at any time. We tried several times and suffered heavy losses."

Nenneke's expression did not change. She just stared at the ivy on the ancient temple.

"What about him?" The high priest of Meliteli suddenly asked, "Where is he now?"

Nenneke didn’t mention anyone by name, but both the sorceress and the high priestess knew who they were talking about.

"Him?" Triss smiled bitterly. "He is temporarily trapped far away. Believe me, Mammy. Foltest wants to see that beautiful face more than you, or even me."
-
Long Exeter's gloomy weather and cold wind were mixed with cold rain as fine as cow hair.

Lan leaned his hands on the stone patio railing and looked out.

The canal's estuary can be seen in the distance. The port is still handling goods and wealth day and night, supporting the winter capital of Kovir built on the canal.

There were footsteps behind me.

Lan En didn't look back, but he already knew who was coming.

"Dijkstra, even though the war has begun, it's safer for people like you to avoid using portals. It's safer for everyone."

The accident rate of the portal is always a problem, and if someone like the spy chief died suddenly and inexplicably, who knows how much trouble the evidence, intelligence, and leverage he had in his hands would cause in the world.

But the fat and strong spy leader just politely greeted the velvet ball sitting on the pillows and took out a pillow to use as a cushion, and sat on the terrace covered with bear skin and a small table.

He began to talk to Lan about the current situation on the battlefield, including the issue that they were most helpless about now: the extraordinary breakthrough ability of the Nilfgaardians, which they had demonstrated for the first time after the end of the truce.

"We still don't know what they did."

When Dijkstra spoke, you could feel his throat moving in his voice.

It wasn't easy going through the portal, and he was still feeling dizzy and nauseous.

"The people standing in their way can't even find a living witness?"

The demon hunter didn't turn around, but just asked in confusion.

"Menno Kuhoon, he," Dijkstra said carefully, choosing his words, "he was very restrained and cautious when using that power."

"To be honest, they don't show their breakthrough ability very often, and almost every time it happens at a critical moment after careful consideration and preparation." "The Field Marshal of Nilfgaard is not some young man who is eager to show off his new toy. This guy is very good at hiding it."

Lan En still leaned on the railing: "Where are they fighting now?"

When the witcher mentioned this issue, Dijkstra immediately frowned and his big belly bulged.

But after hesitating for a moment, he pursed his lips and spoke.

"Menno Kuhoon is charging forward as if he wants to penetrate the central theater of operations. Our previous estimate was too optimistic."

"Maribor has fallen, and the enemy is still advancing northward. At present, it seems that they will reach Vizima tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."

And today, just over a week has passed since Lan was cursed.

At the beginning, Dijkstra calculated that even if Menno Cuhoon received the news on the same day, it would take three or four days to pull the army out of the armistice directly.

But in the current situation, the other party really received the news on the same day and took action on the same day.

There is no doubt that the Nilfgaardians had been waiting for this news.

"But you can't rush it now, man!"

After delivering the bad news, Dijkstra immediately began to offer advice.

"We don't know how they achieved their unimaginable breakthrough ability. Although this is helpless and powerless, we can only place our hopes on our warlock, or on you."

"Otherwise, I think even the walls of Vizima will be useless in front of the Nilfgaardians."

"You and the warlock must keep a cool head and be in good condition. Just wait here for the spell to be lifted."

Before Dijkstra could finish what he was saying, Lan interrupted him.

"So you've been going back and forth these past few days, but you didn't tell me about Wengerberg?"

Dijkstra was stunned for a moment, but immediately calmed down: "Who did you get the news from?"

"Do you think that might be a spy who leaked the information to disrupt me?" Lan En immediately understood what the spy leader meant. "But unfortunately, that was just something Margarita accidentally revealed when I was talking to her."

"Damn it." Dijkstra pressed his forehead hard.

Lan was sure he wanted to say something nasty to Margarita, but because she was still there, he held it in.

Lan En knew the spy boy, and the spy boy knew Lan En.

"Listen," Dijkstra said, "What happened in Vengerberg was a tragedy. But it was mainly because Rudolf Ep Darcy was a fucking lunatic! Who else would commit massacres in a territory that was already stable?!"

"Many people died, yes, many people. But Lan, I beg you not to be confused by these news! If we can't defeat the Nilfgaardians, more people will die!"

"Only 6,000 people died in Vengerberg! If we fail, that's 60,000! And 600,000 will become slaves!"

Dijkstra sat on the cushion and gave Lan a serious and solemn reminder and advice.

But Lan En remained silent at first, and then turned into the room.

Dijkstra stretched his head to look inside, only to find that the witcher was steadily putting on his unusual-looking armor.

"What are you doing?" the spy leader yelled, "What can you do if you leave now? You can't use the portal! It takes more than a month to reach Novigrad by sea! What can you catch?!"

"I know you don't want to sit and wait, but this is the most efficient way right now! Do you understand?"

The more Dijkstra spoke, the more anxious he became. The more he saw Lan continue to put on his armor without any fluctuation, the more anxious he became.

Finally, he suddenly stood up from the cushion and stood at the door between the terrace and the room.

"Sure! Why do you think I keep coming here after teleporting here and back every day, my brain is almost shaken up, I can't even eat these days, and I have a lot of things to do?!"

"Isn't it just to comfort you?! Isn't it because they are afraid that you will be mentally unstable if you just sit here and watch the battle reports while waiting for the curse to be lifted? Even if you go to the battlefield, you will be killed by the Nilfgaardians by God knows what means?!"

Lan seemed not to hear him, while Dijkstra stood at the door and looked at him seriously.

Only the fluff ball jumped up from the pile of pillows it had made, and stood in the middle, looking at the two of them in confusion.

"Meow?"

Lann had already put on Smaug. His original casual clothes had been covered with bone-white, hideous and majestic armor.

He walked up to Dijkstra and peered forward to block the door to the terrace.

Lan looked down at him, his eyes spread across his fat face, filled with anger and responsibility.

Lan En didn't think about explaining anything to Dijkstra, he just asked a question suddenly, seemingly without any reason.

"Dijkstra, my horse." The witcher tilted his head. "How long do you think it will take to get here from Novigrad?"

(End of this chapter)