Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 1732 1704. Doomed to Failure

After all, the northern countries had only just arrived on this continent, and their political systems had only been established for a few hundred years. In Lan En's eyes, they did not seem like people who had seen the world and had historical experience.

Therefore, we cannot ask them to know what "dismantling the colonial system" means, and we cannot ask them to know that completing this task is equivalent to dismantling the Nilfgaard Empire.

Therefore, if Lann hopes to have his demands put on the table for post-war negotiations, it would be good enough if the northern kings don't make things difficult for him, and they can't expect any help at all.

Lan was too lazy to waste their time at the negotiation table, so he directly put his demands on Menno Kuhoon, who would definitely be treated as a high-value prisoner, and asked him to pass it directly to Nilfgaard when the time came.

"Uh……"

At this moment, Hans, who was sitting against a tree stump wall across the road, suddenly spoke up during the standoff between Lan and Menno Kuhn.

He first carefully moved the unconscious Henry, who was resting his head on his thighs, to the ground, then stood up with his uninjured hand on the tree stump, and spoke with a somewhat stiff and nervous expression.

"My Lords! It is indeed impolite to interrupt your conversation, but this matter involves Pickstein and my family after all."

"I must express my sincere gratitude to you, Duke Lan. I just thought my life was over and even my family would be implicated. Thank you for your great favor and help at this moment."

As he spoke, Hans bent his left leg, stretched his right leg forward, tucked his broken left hand in front of his chest, raised his right hand horizontally to the side, and bowed.

A standard etiquette was created.

It seemed like this was the first time for him to stand up and express his gratitude on behalf of the family. Although this should have been taught in aristocratic education, he still looked a little nervous.

However, being able to overcome one's fear and not shrink back when one should stand up is already a good quality.

So Lan smiled and nodded at him, while Menno Kuhoon still had an unpleasant look on his face.

Even the look in his eyes when he looked at Henry and Hans was filled with deeper and stronger hostility than when he was captured before.

This is understandable. After all, before Lan En made his request, what would happen if these two guys captured him? The North just got one more noble captive.

But now, this blond boy's family! This small and insignificant country aristocracy that has lived in a broken castle in the countryside for generations! Will become the crowbar that pries the solid foundation of the empire!

Menno Kuhn also knew that Hans Capen and his family were of little importance.

Even if there was no southern nobleman who had made great contributions in "assisting in capturing the imperial marshal", the war had lasted from the summer of last year to the early spring of this year. Isn't it easy to find a southern nobleman who surrendered?
But how could he have the luxury of talking about rationality now?
"Don't try to use me to fulfill your conspiracy!"

Menno Kuhn turned away from Hans and continued to look at Lan. Anger and fear for the future of his country made his lips tremble.

"Don't even think about it! I'd rather die right now!"

"Conspiracy? What nonsense are you talking about, Quehoun." Lann also turned around, his tone calm, "I am conveying my request to you openly. Just convey it to your country and to Emhyr."

"Forget it! His Majesty the Emperor will never agree to your request! Wattir de Lidoux will kill everyone in this kid's family under his orders! It would be a mercy for him to let him go to the gallows!"

"[The White Flame Dancing on the Enemy's Grave] will never show mercy, especially to betrayers! Just wait and see! This is the emperor's majesty and prestige! Even for his own sake, His Majesty will never..."

"'Never'? But nothing is absolute, Marshal Cuhoon."

Menno Coehoorn's impassioned speech, even threatening his life, was interrupted lightly by Lan.

The Imperial Marshal's heart skipped a beat, because when the witcher put forward the conditions just now, it was almost the same situation.

He was now beginning to feel frightened by Lan's seemingly calm words.

In Menno Kuhn's eyes, every time the witcher's lips opened and closed, they were no longer part of a beautiful face, but rather the clicking sound of a guillotine or a scissor that could take someone's life!
This time is no exception.

Lan En looked into his eyes with an indescribable smile on his lips.

“You said Emhyr wouldn’t agree.”

But then Lan changed the subject: "Do you know how you lost this war, Marshal Kuhoon?"

The Imperial Marshal looked at the other party heavily, and he had ten thousand reasons in his mind for the failure of this war.

For example, the United Kingdom of Kovir and Povis in the north bypassed the treaty signed with the Nilfgaard Empire and indirectly supported the four northern countries.

For example, Joachim de Witt on the Western Front was a useless person with high aspirations but low skills, whether he was leading troops or governing.

Another example is Rudolf Ep Darcy on the Eastern Front, who destroyed the reputation he had previously built.

Or most importantly, he miscalculated the time it would take Lan to get back from Kovir! Because of that damn horse!

That speed can't be explained by a 'steed'! That thing must be a magical creature! It's a monster!

But Menno Coehoorn said nothing, for he knew that these things were certainly not what Lan wanted to emphasize.

But even though he thought he was mentally prepared, he was still shocked by Lan En's next words, his pupils dilated and his eyes dulled.

"From the beginning of this war, you were doomed to lose. Even I played no role in it, Kuhoon. Because it was your emperor who wanted you to lose."

Lan En looked at the neatly trimmed, slightly trembling mustache on the other's lips with amusement. "You didn't see this clearly, so you are captured now."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Menno Kuhoon said sharply, "Or do you think I will do what you say? I was defeated by you, but I am not a fool, Lord Hunter. I still remember how you deceived me on the battlefield."

"If you want to cheat people, at least find someone honest and trustworthy to cheat them! Instead of doing it yourself! You are not trustworthy at all in front of me!"

"Your words are very hurtful, Quehoorn. How can a mutual confrontation on the battlefield extend to an attack on my credibility?"

But Lan En didn't want to dwell on this matter, he just smiled indifferently.

"I took some time to read the collection of battle examples included in the textbooks of the Nilfgaard Military Academy. This book is quite hard to find, and it took me some effort."

Lan En suddenly spoke as if to change the subject.

"I found some interesting things in this. Want to hear them, Cuhoon?"

"As long as it's not those fantastic stories mentioned before, we can actually communicate smoothly, Duke Lan."

Menno Kuhn softened a little when he saw that there was no need to discuss the previous issues any further, but Lan simply raised his finger and listed his findings one by one.

"In 1198, during a battle on the border of Ebin, the Usica Brigade received a clear order to attack, but they still went back to support the headquarters that was 'likely to be threatened'. Of course, this was later praised by your textbooks as having a keen nose for the battlefield."

Menno Kuhoon nodded proudly: "The Usica Brigade has always been a model for the Empire. The neatly arranged skull and crossbones are enough to terrify the enemies of the Empire."

Lan En didn't say much about the organization that he had once eliminated, he just shrugged.

"But here comes the fun stuff, Cuhoon."

Lan En's smile was filled with an undisguised sense of mischief, as if he was about to reveal a practical joke.

And this smile made Kuhoon feel cold in his heart.

"Throughout the career of the Nausicaa Brigade, this 'exemplary unit', they have always obeyed orders, with only a few instances of unauthorized action. These actions have had their share of successes and failures, but overall they were normal. However."

"Don't you see any 'commonality' in these actions?"

"What do you mean?"

"What it means is that in all of these rare unauthorized actions, members of the Apple Darcy family were present."

Without any delay or concealment, Lane spoke fluently following Menno Cuhoon's questioning.

"Either someone from the Eep Darcy family is in charge of the command, or the order was passed to the herald of the Usica Brigade, whose name was Eep Darcy."

"Various. Anyway, whenever this unit took action without authorization, I would always see the name of this family in the cracks of the battle records."

"The Usica Brigade, the so-called 'exemplary force', but Kuhoon, does this unit obey the orders of the Emperor of Nilfgaard... or is it something else?"

"Before the war, according to tradition, they were the guards surrounding the Golden Tower City, right? Now I heard that they were transferred to the Eastern Front? Does this transfer... feel abnormal to you?"

Lan En tilted his head and smiled, but in contrast, Menno Kuhn, who had softened his attitude just now, had his eyes lost in disbelief, as if he suddenly thought of something but didn't dare to believe it.

Hans, who had been listening, was confused at this time.

But the witcher continued.

"There are troops with the same abnormalities as the Nausicaa Brigade, the 'exemplary unit', and the Magne Division, but they seem to be more influenced by the De Witt family?"

"Of course, they were originally the Guards Corps that protected the Golden Tower City, but now they have been transferred to the Kingdom of Weiden on the western front."

"You," Menno Kuhoon said tremblingly, "want to say..."

"I want to say," at this time, the playful, evil smile on Lan's face disappeared, leaving only calmness. "Although it's just a guess, it's very likely: the De Witt and Apple Darcy families are planning a coup."

"But Emhyr saw through their secret alliance long beforehand, and then he arranged for the heads of the two families to be commanders of the two fronts, allowing them to transfer the legions they actually controlled from the capital to the front for the sake of interests, honor, and military merit."

"And then... didn't you say yourself that [White Flames Dancing on the Enemy's Grave] will never forgive betrayers?"

"Now that the traitors and their legions have reached the front lines and are facing the enemy... what would be the easiest, least laborious, and most profitable way to eliminate them, Kuhoon?"

Stop talking... Stop talking...

Menno Cuhoon prayed in his heart.

But Lan's thin lips were like a ruthless guillotine.

"Why not just sell them out and let them die on the battlefield? The hatred in Nilfgaard will grow, and there will be an endless stream of young people who want to join the army. While the traitors are being eliminated, they will also have completed the last charge for the empire!"

(End of this chapter)