Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 1815 1787. New Beacon
Margarita's research findings are of paramount importance in the history of human magic in the magical Middle Ages.

In this world, manipulating space is not a particularly difficult skill to master.

Most warlocks, with sufficient prior preparation, can open portals. Archmages, on the other hand, can open portals out of thin air.

In the eyes of sorcerers, the difficulty of traveling and communicating between different continents and countries in this world is no different from that of people in the information age.

However, at the same time, on a broader societal level, apart from a very small group of sorcerers, the efficiency of communication for everyone is still constrained by the limitations of the times and technology.

According to Lan En's understanding, warlocks conduct various experiments in their mage towers, and as a precaution, it is a common choice among warlocks to throw any potentially out-of-control laboratory into any corner of the world.

For warlocks, their ability to open portals has also made their sense of responsibility increasingly thin.

After all, with just a snap of the fingers, a pre-prepared spell can teleport an out-of-control danger thousands of miles away. With the distance diminishing, no danger can threaten the sorcerer himself.

But what consequences those out-of-control dangers might have at the landing point is none of the warlock's business.

The warlocks' irresponsible attitude instilled fear and disgust in people, which indirectly contributed to the establishment of the original governing organization of the warlocks—the Novigrad Alliance.

Subsequently, an even more rigorous management system for warlocks was established, namely the Association of Talents and Skills and the High Council of Warlocks.

Today, the warlocks' governing body has vanished. And there's no one left to award or honor Margarita's innovations.

The sorceress lying on the witcher's lap, her alluring, entwined body resembling a beautiful serpent.

On her playfully raised hand, her slender fingers wove a pattern that was simple on the outside but complex on the inside with chaotic magic.

"Come on, take a look." Like teasing a cat, Margarita playfully waved her fingers, following the pattern, in front of Lan En. "How does it compare to the one in your hand?"

The magical skill required for warlocks to manipulate space is not very demanding.

The local sorcerers have had contact with other worlds before, and there are many sorcerers who study the conjunction of celestial spheres. Alzul's [Alzul Double Cross] even summoned the Saliva Demon directly from another world to this world.

The real challenge in manipulating space always lies in 'how to manipulate space correctly'.

Specifically, regarding the project of the celestial conjunction, it means finding the correct coordinates in the vast world, instead of blindly stumbling around.

The Elven race of the world once achieved this, but after their civilization declined, their technology was lost.

To this day, perhaps only ancient relics of the elves retain even a trace of this ability.

Coincidentally, Lan En had just one of these pieces.

The Witcher watched his lover's playful antics on his lap, as if teasing a cat, a smile playing on his lips. But his amber cat-like eyes had unknowingly deepened and become more profound.

He tilted his head to examine the light pattern on Margarita's finger, and his profound spiritual vision instantly pierced through the surface to glimpse the deeper truth.

"Wow!" Lann exclaimed, obligingly, "This really does resemble the internal structure of the Elf Beacon!"

The Witcher's perfectly timed compliments pleased Margarita greatly.

She reluctantly climbed off Lan En, then took out a smooth, polished stone from the wine cabinet in the dean's office.

And in front of Lan En, he branded the light pattern on his hand into the stone.

Seeing this, Lan En also took out the Elf Beacon from his alchemy bag and placed it on the table in front of the cashmere bench.

"Tessaya and I have studied this elven beacon you obtained quite a few times. It would be funny if we didn't get any results."

Margarita spoke with great pride, yet also with an air of naturalness.

She was originally the most talented sorceress in over a hundred years.

"It's a pity. If Tisaya had come back sooner and we had worked together on the research, we could have produced the results before you went on this trip."

The sorceress glanced at the teacher, who was still engrossed in working on documents, with a hint of complaint.

This only elicited a completely unmoved rebuttal from the former dean.

“Reaching results later won’t diminish your honor in the slightest. You are an undeniable genius, it’s only a matter of time, Rita. But my actions with Gedimitis in Viden have upheld the reputation and prestige of the sorcerer community in this turbulent era.”

“Between the two, I can’t possibly prioritize this one.” “Yes, Tisaya. You’ve always put the big picture first and been meticulous and precise.” Margarita offered a half-hearted compliment to her teacher, then shook the stone in her hand and tossed it to the Witcher. “Take this.”

The sorceress leaned against the wine cabinet, a glass of red wine in her hand: "The Elven Beacon has already recorded six world coordinates in your possession, and its capacity is almost full. After all, this thing is practically an antique."

“The new beacon I gave you only has a capacity of three world coordinates,” Margarita said, shrugging as she raised her glass. “But that’s what happens when this is my newly developed technology? And the materials aren’t exactly scarce. Just make more and use more.”

"Not too rare" means...?

Lan En shook the smoothed stone in his hand and asked.

“One costs 20,000 Orens on the market.” Margarita’s answer once again demonstrated the difference in consumption habits between a sorceress and a normal person.

When Lan En faced a broken capital chain, the funding gap for such a large operation was only 32,000.

Fortunately, Lan En has never been too concerned about his personal assets. Unless he is on the verge of bankruptcy, he doesn't really care.

"With the world coordinates in these beacons, we can go to the other side of the celestial sphere where the coordinates point, without even needing your accompaniment."

Previously, there was only one Elf Beacon, which was carried by Lann. Of course, a Witcher would be needed to accompany him to get there.

But this is much more convenient.

The collaboration with the New World Research Group on the [Deviljho Kidney Grinding Fluid] could even be considered a normal business transaction, with regular purchases and sales.

“So now the problem has become the chaotic magic.” Margarita picked up the elven beacon that Lann had placed on the table and put it into a delicate and secure little box for safekeeping.

"Did I hear wrong?" Lann asked deliberately, raising an eyebrow. "I heard from a sorceress, an archmage, that chaos magic is a problem?"

“Hey!” Margarita gave him a disgruntled look before continuing, “Coordinates provide direction, while chaotic magic is the power that opens the rift between the celestial spheres.”

"What about the one on Black Tern Island?" Lan En put away the new beacon in his hand. "Who knows how long that chaotic magic tide will last? It might never end."

“The chaotic magic there is terrifying! Of course, it would be very convenient if we could utilize it.” Margarita shook her head. “But every time we open the Celestial Convergence Rift, we have to go all the way to Vizima? Right under the noses of so many people in the capital of Temuria?”

“We are not the witches in folk tales who hide in the light of day, but we also do not want our research and findings to be put in the public eye.”

The Witcher nodded: "I understand."

"Therefore, we tend to use the chaotic magic stored in Aretusa, as well as to find powerful magical locations around the world and make good use of those naturally gathered magical locations."

“If you need help,” Lann said earnestly, looking at Margarita, “please don’t hesitate to ask.”

The sorceress smiled alluringly: "I never intended to be polite with you, my dear."

Margarita's research progress is undoubtedly good news, which is very encouraging.

But this matter obviously doesn't require much of Lan En's attention, and he can't be of much help. It's still up to the powerful female sorcerers to figure it out themselves.

On the other hand, the post-war peace talks that Tissaya mentioned were something that was about to begin.

“Gedimitis is very grateful for your advice.” Tisaya put the quill back into the ink bottle and said seriously to Lann, “Me too.”

The Witcher leaned back against the cashmere bench: "Sounds like your operation in Vidon is going well?"

“Quite smoothly.” Tisaya nodded, her long, elegant neck as graceful as a swan’s.

"Joachim de Wit was already overwhelmed by the local guerrillas who were relentlessly suppressed. After I and Gedimitis organized a group of sorcerers to join the support, he was even too afraid to come out of the castle."

"This caused the morale of the Nilfgaardian Legion on the western front to be low. Field Marshal Menno Kuhorn, who was originally in charge of the central front, had to personally lead his legion to support them, so that the fool de Witt would not collapse on his own before spring arrived."

"But as you know, Menno Kuhorn barely held on for Joachim de Wit's western front for a while, then he withdrew the vast majority of his cavalry corps and marched back to the central front in a lightning speed. What followed was an unprecedented defeat."

"Only Hidaris remained as an obstacle on the western front. If we could capture it, the Nilfgaardians on the western front could enter the territory of Temeria and separate Velen from Vizima. Their central and western fronts could then merge."

"But by the time news of Menno Kuhun's defeat reached the western front, even though Nilfgaard's forces were still twice, if not more, than Hidalis's, they simply didn't have the courage to advance any further."

"With our numerical advantage, even if he holds his ground, it will take a lot of effort to take him down." Lan En asked with great interest, "So what did you do in the end?"

(End of this chapter)