Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 1712 1684. Curse Changes
Some people's hair and ears are stained with traces of their own feces and urine.

"Who are these people?"

Lincoln dragged Sergeant Nasser over and forced him to look at these people. Sometimes pressure can make people tell the truth.

"No, sir, I don't know!"

Lincoln's hand squeezed the other man's collarbone, making an ominous sound.

"Oh! I really, really don't know!" Arne screamed in pain, "They can't speak! Really! The marshal never said anything! We just watch them! That's our only duty!"

"We didn't dare to get close to them. Everyone said it was witchcraft. It was witchcraft that sucked away their souls. Those souls were tortured day and night. The Nilfgaardians maintained their bodies to ensure that those souls could continue to be tortured!"

Of course they couldn't speak, with their mouths held up by esophagus and gags, it was impossible for anyone to say anything.

Lincoln suspected that these people had not opened and closed their mouths freely even once since they lay on this narrow car floor that was so uncomfortable both mentally and physically!
He looked at them one by one and saw that after many people stretched their mouths wide, the festering flesh around their mouths had grown together with their esophagus.

Lincoln and the Embers Knight beside him took a step back and took in the densely packed canvas-covered carriages on the land.

“It’s like raising foie gras.”

The Embers Knight spoke softly.

Lincoln knew what this battle brother was talking about.

Most of them were originally from noble families in Cintra and knew a lot about luxurious and exquisite dishes.

The people of Cintra admire rough strength and brutal violence, but they have to come into contact with foreign countries, right?
A dish of fat foie gras is a famous representative dish of Toussaint, the country of knights.

This dish is made by raising geese. The geese used as raw materials are specially raised and confined in a small space where they cannot even stretch their legs and stand up.

Then they stretch the goose's neck and throat and force-feed it. The geese raised in this way will have an abnormally high proportion of fat in their internal organs, which is basically equivalent to severe fatty liver in humans.

But it is this kind of morbidly fat liver that tastes as smooth as butter.

"Or maybe a pigsty." Lincoln said gloomily, punching the wooden boards of the carriages with his fists. "They treat people like animals."

This is even more intolerable than slavery in the Nilfgaardian Empire.

At a quick glance at this area, there are at least five or six hundred cars, and with seven people in each car, that means more than three to four thousand people!
"Is this why you don't dare to come in?"

Lincoln's heart was burning with anger. They had already been honest with the leader of their order after experiencing the tragedy of Cintra and the sacrifices they made in escaping Cintra.

Even slavery is intolerable, let alone treating people like animals?

But it is morally unacceptable, which is because the Knights of Embers have high moral standards. Being angry is anger, but it does not mean that the mind cannot bear it after watching this scene.

Although the members of the Nasser Tactical Cavalry Regiment may not be stronger in mental resilience than the Knights of Embers, they have at least been on the battlefield and will not be unable to accept such a scene.

"No, sir."

Sergeant Arnie, whose collarbone was almost broken by Lincoln's subconscious anger, said with a grim expression, covering his shoulder.

"That's witchcraft! We're not cowards, we're not superstitious rubes, and I wouldn't lie to you! But it's witchcraft! They're not normal!"

At the end, as if venting his fear, Sergeant Arnie's voice gradually turned into a shout.

Lincoln narrowed his eyes, making sure that this man's performance was truly from the heart and not just an act.

After being killed by the Embers Knights, he was still able to act under their questioning? If he could do this, then what kind of shitty sergeant is he?
Lincoln turned and looked at the men who were imprisoned in the small mezzanine.

This time he saw it more clearly - Lincoln not only lay on the top layer of the carriage to observe, but also pulled out several mezzanines for multiple observations.

Finally he came to the conclusion: these people were all afraid.

Abnormal fear.

The pupils of both eyes are dilated, breathing becomes rapid, and there are even muscle spasms, limbs shaking and struggling.

These symptoms are all too familiar. Now drag a Nilfgaardian fleeing soldier outside and strip off his helmet. That's basically it.

But the fleeing soldiers of Nilfgaard were defeated, and their fear was justified. What was going on with these people?
Even if I was afraid of being locked up in this small mezzanine, shouldn't I be afraid in the first few days? The rest of the time I should be feeling mild fear mixed with despair, pain, and other emotions.

How can one sustain such intense fear, which is almost like a shock, for a long time?

Fear is a very physically demanding thing. Drastic hormone changes will trigger a series of physiological reactions. When the body can no longer bear it, it will spontaneously begin to inhibit activity, which means that people begin to adapt and become numb.

These people's skinny bodies kept struggling instinctively, pulling at the locks nailed to the sandwich boards, making weak struggling sounds.

But this was enough for Lincoln to understand why this place made the people in the Nilfgaard camp feel so scared.

They were now in broad daylight, and the victorious army was chasing after the defeated soldiers after charging into the battle line, so of course they didn't think anything of it.

After all, there are wailing and screaming everywhere now.

But under normal circumstances, the more than 3,000 to 4,000 people in these 500 to 600 cars would be silent, and would only make dull whimpers and weak struggles.

Who wouldn’t feel scared after a long time?
And emotions are contagious.

If two people are fighting, it is of course normal for the person being beaten to look panicked.

Even the person who beats others may feel very happy at first. But if the panic of that person gradually becomes uncontrollable, unrelieved, and intensifies, it will be obvious that it is not normal at all.
The person who hits someone may worry about the consequences of his actions at the beginning. This is still a stage where he still has some rationality.

But soon, as the panic symptoms become more severe, the person who did it will soon start to feel restless and even suspicious, and then fall into panic.

Smiles can spread smiles, fear can spread fear, and the theoretical basis of group emotions is the infectiousness of emotions.

Lann is very well versed in this, and the Embers are also well aware of it.

"Spells, curses." The Embers Knight beside Lincoln whispered, "Menno Kuhoon wouldn't bring these people to slow down the march for no reason. He must have a reason."

"It's not a spell." Lincoln shook his head.

A spell that requires dragging more than three or four thousand people as casting materials?

The Southern Empire did not pay much attention to the development of magic before, but the warlocks in the North were watched over by a management agency.

[Necromancer] is listed as a spell that is prohibited from being studied or researched. Anyone found guilty will be severely punished, up to and including extermination.

It has only been less than a year since the Association of Talents and Skills and the Supreme Council of Warlocks collapsed!

How could this kind of magic be suddenly developed?

——Then it can only be for the curse!

The curse that extends from these thousands of people!

Lincoln and Embers Knight communicated in just a few seconds to confirm the direction of the investigation.

After the general direction was confirmed, Lincoln's subsequent questioning of the prisoners became much more targeted.

Soon they knew about the bronze bell, the carriage, and the prisoners in the carriage.

Thus, the shape of a curse was gradually outlined by them.

Curses are complex and irregular. Even the most experienced demon hunters would not dare to say that they can lift any curse before they have collected complete intelligence and found out the causes and consequences of the curse.

"Now the curse consists of at least a few elements: these half-dead people, the bell, and perhaps the car that carries the bell."

Lincoln said while pinching his forehead.

It was already the tenth minute since they rushed into the area.

"But besides these poor fellows, we must at least find the bell and the car!"

"I found it!" An Embers Knight rode his horse into the gate. He skillfully jumped off the horse and threw out a document. "The route and schedule of that car! It's in a bedside box of one of Menno Kuhoon's adjutants!"

At this time, Embers Knights were already coming and going from this place one after another.

They were all people who came here to find Lincoln to learn about the latest situation and then turned around to conduct targeted searches.

When facing a curse, the only thing they may lack is enough information, even these 'new demon hunters' know it.

Lincoln took the route and timetable, but the solemnity on his face did not subside.

"This thing is of little significance." He continued to flip through it while saying, "We have destroyed the military camp. They will definitely not move as rigidly as planned."

"At least we need to send a few people to try to look for them." The Embers Knight who brought the documents in said seriously, "What if strictly adhering to the route and schedule is also part of the curse? We can also expand the search area nearby."

But then other Embers Knights interrupted the discussion.

There are still four Ash Knights here, but they have been replaced several times.

"It will only be more difficult to disperse manpower at this time. We are so few in number that it is simply a gamble."

"Otherwise, what other ideas do you have?"

"Mobilize the troops and have more people spread out to look for it."

"You want outsiders to get involved in matters concerning the curse? They might make things worse. They will destroy all the information and clues! They might even exacerbate the curse!"

The Embers Knights have a strong discussion atmosphere when solving problems, but the execution phase after the discussion is strict and restrictive.

Lincoln was used to this.

But just saying.

"Speaking of the intensified curse," an Embers Knight suddenly looked around the isolated area, "These poor people here can't move until we figure it out, right? We need to seal this place off again immediately."

"etc?!"

Lincoln, who was looking at the documents in his hand, suddenly looked up and his face changed drastically when he heard this.

And almost at the same time, in the corner of this isolated area.

The dwarves, who were hunting down their enemies, had cornered a Nilfgaardian against a wall of wooden stakes.

And this desperate soldier, when he was about to make a last desperate effort, vented his energy by shouting and randomly slashing at the carriage next to him!
Then, a silent roar erupted from the direction of the battlefield!
(End of this chapter)