Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 1820, Section 1792: Moving
Alexios, who longed to fight monsters like an ancient hero and leave behind legends of glory and achievements, clearly did not expect the existence of things like 'demons and ghosts'.

On the way after dealing with the ghouls, he kept muttering things like "silver sword, silver knife," as if he was ready to get himself one for self-defense whenever he had the chance.

After that, they traveled without incident and arrived at High Hill Fortress in the southern hills of Velen.

The horses' hooves clattered as they trod on the basalt formed from cooled lava.

Alexios looked curious, puzzled as to why there were large patches of rocks on the road that would only appear after lava cooled, when the place didn't seem to have a volcano.

After crossing streams and meadows and climbing uphill, the high hill fortress had its gates wide open, ready to welcome you.

The Ember Knights certainly knew that Lann was coming.

After all, Lincoln was leading his men to greet them outside the gate, while Tissaya was already standing on the city gate.

Lann dismounted, greeted his knights, and carried Margarita down with him.

“I told you so, Rita.” On the city gate, Tisaya, still with her reserved and ascetic demeanor, lectured Margarita, “Using a portal would have saved a lot of time. You’re a warlock!”

Just like every argument between teacher and student in the past, Margarita, with her mature figure and charming face, made a face at the teacher like a little girl.

"Time, time...why rush? Enjoy the process, enjoy the fun, Tesaya! We had a great time chatting along the way!"

The great teacher could only shake his head at his student's consistent willfulness from the city gate tower, just as he had always done before.

There's no need for much discussion between Lann and the Ember Knight.

In the previous war, all sixty Ember Knights were mobilized. A small number went to the city of Fujen in Aden, while the majority answered Foltest's call to go to the front lines.

Now, all the Ember Knights who fought on the front lines have returned to Highhill Castle.

Furthermore, they learned on the battlefield that day what Lann had demanded of the Nilfgaardians.

Their lord demanded that the Nilfgaards withdraw from Sintra.

High Castle was indeed the castle where they stayed the longest after they were formed into a knightly order. Even the formal founding ceremony was held here, and documents and notices were signed and sent to various countries.

But in the end, the land that fell in the First Northern War was their homeland, and the sacred territory of their lord.

After nearly three years, they have returned to Sintra. This is of great significance to the Knights of the Ember, who are mainly composed of young survivors from Sintra.

So when Tisaya came through the portal and said that Lann was about to go to conduct post-war peace talks, they all felt their hearts pounding in their chests, completely out of control.

Lincoln came out carrying only his luggage.

After helping Margarita off her horse, Lann walked towards the people emerging from High Hill Fortress.

She was a tall, sharp woman, yet her temperament carried an alluring melancholy.

A long black trench coat, a half-shoulder cape with a bright red lining draped over the left shoulder, and a hunter's tricorn hat covering a head of silver hair.

"It's been a long time, Maria."

The Witcher approached with a smile, then opened his arms and bent down to embrace the other person.

God knows, this was just a perfectly normal hug between friends.

But for the gloomy and melancholic hunter from Yharnam, this action was far too... enthusiastic and intimate.

Maria, who had always been as indifferent and expressionless as a doll, blinked her eyes, her long arms seemingly unsure of what to do, raising and lowering them stiffly.

Fortunately, the greeting hug was almost instantaneous.

After stepping back, Lan En looked at Maria with a teasing smile: "How are you feeling? You've been living a normal life for a while now, so don't always be expressionless like a doll."

Yes, Lan En did it on purpose. Otherwise, Mr. Lan rarely engages in intimate actions with women without considering their wishes.

On the one hand, it's out of respect, and on the other hand, it's to be aware of how it affects one's appearance and demeanor.

But Maria was already a friend, so a few jokes were harmless. And Lann genuinely hoped that this huntress from Yharnam could gradually return to normal after escaping the city shrouded in endless darkness.

However, it seems that there is still a long way to go.

“We haven’t been apart for long,” Maria said, adjusting her tricorn hat, her voice still cool and dreamlike, “and I haven’t helped you much. I’ve just been taken care of by you. Like a foolish novice hunter.”

"What do you mean by that?" Lan En chuckled. "Does that mean the people who guard the castle don't deserve credit just because no one attacks them? Besides, you're a swordsmanship instructor."

"Good heavens, look! Henry!" A whispered voice murmured from the crowd, "Lady Maria smiled! She really can smile! Oh, my heart melts!"

Then, a somewhat naive voice lowered its voice and said, "I saw it, Hans." The speaker then seemed to think for a moment and added, "But it's not for you to laugh at, Sir Capone."

"...Shut up, Henry."

Lan En remained noncommittal about the two people whispering among the crowd.

Behind Lann, the Ember Knights politely and courteously entertained the rest of the group.

Among them, the velvet ball and the unicorn already held a high position in the Knights.

Margarita herself represents the Academy of Aretusa, and given her personal relationship with Lann, the Ember Knights, who strive for perfection, already had a plan for this.

Only Cassandra and Alexios are not well known to most of the Ember Knights.

Cassandra was alright, but Alexios was a complete stranger.

Fortunately, there are no idiots among the Ember Knights.

Although they split their forces into two groups, the Ember Knights of Vergen maintained regular contact with Highhold.

Therefore, the Ember Knights all knew that the 'indestructible spearhead' that Lann had promised them was the woman before them with an eagle perched on her shoulder and riding a magical ghost horse.

They all knew about Cassandra's record in Aden and had no doubts about it.

Looking at the way Alexios and Cassandra interacted, the Ember Knights had a rough idea of ​​what kind of person he was.

—They will be the new strength of the Knights!

“Lan once told me that you would be an outstanding group of warriors.” Alexios crossed his arms and looked the knights over. “Now that I look at you, you do seem pretty good. Leading you might not be such a boring thing.”

Despite Alexios's sunny and cheerful demeanor after returning to his family, his pride and confidence as the chosen one of the cult remained strong from beginning to end.

“If you are capable enough,” the bearded Henwell said with a smile, while politely ushering them into the castle, “then we would be happy for you.”

"Ha!" Cassandra, always eager for drama, added fuel to the fire for her brother, "Ali! You're being questioned!"

Alexios ignored his sister, laughing and shaking his head as his hair, which was tied in many small braids, danced.

"Haha! A warrior should be able to prove himself at any time! I am not afraid of any doubts or challenges!"

As he spoke, he pounded his chest, making a dull, powerful thud.

“He is a strong and confident warrior,” Lincoln, who had already slung his small bag over his shoulder, said to Lann, turning his gaze away from Alexios.

"Well, it seems your eyesight has improved, Lincoln."

“You’re too kind, sir.” Lincoln shook his head. “I can only tell he’s strong, but I have no idea how strong he really is. I’d like to suggest five men to accompany you to Sintra for the post-war peace talks. What do you think?”

"Five?" Lan En asked with a smile. "Are there only five people who want to go home quickly?"

“None of us want to leave, but this time we’re mainly going back as your honor guard,” Lincoln said very seriously and clearly. “The meeting is about to start, and you’re only arriving now. You must be planning to use the portal to go to Sintra, right?”

"The rest of us have to pack our things: luggage, weapons, and most importantly, documents, correspondence, communication channels, and so on. Moving from High Hill Fortress back to Sintra is no short journey."

After the First Northern War, the Knights of the Ember were received by Foltest as the Sintra Expeditionary Knights and received Highhold from the Council.

However, if the negotiations go smoothly and Lann's previous demands to Nilfgaard are fulfilled, then the Knights of the Ember will undoubtedly return home.

After all, you can't just end your 'overseas assignment' and still occupy space, can you?
Lincoln's prediction of Lann's schedule was also very accurate. Since they were only preparing to set off today, the only options were to use a teleportation portal or have the Qilin run.

However, the act of making the Qilin run is seen by outsiders as a real pressure on the negotiations.

If disagreements arise during negotiations, applying pressure is understandable. However, applying pressure before negotiations even begin can cause many things that could have been discussed to change unexpectedly.

Lincoln didn't believe Lane would do something so inappropriate.

Then the only option is a portal.

“Alexios will stay, consider it a preliminary contact.” Seeing that Lincoln fully understood his arrangements, Lann simply began to give instructions. “The rest will be handled according to your plan, Lincoln. I’m not just praising you when I say you’ve made great progress, it’s a fact.”

“Besides, it’s not just five Ember Knights coming with me,” Lann added. “Cassandra will be with me too. And those two lads, too.”

Finally, Lan En raised his hand and pointed to the two people who had been whispering among themselves in the crowd.

(End of this chapter)