Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 1857, 1829: The Ancient Church's Impotent Wrath

Lan En looked around at the gray wolf whose head he had patted.

Rob?

The Witcher's expression was somewhat subtle.

This reminded him of someone he used to know: his former 'little squire,' Arya Stark.

Their Stark family sigil is a direwolf, and according to Arya, each of them, siblings and a direwolf, owns one.

Her older brother's name was Rob Stark, and his direwolf was also gray.

Although Lann has never met Rob Stark and his wolves, he can only imagine what they look like.

The wolf's name stirred up memories; it had been many years since Lan En had escorted Aria home. Back then, he was only nineteen, not yet twenty, a young man.

Moreover, on the Kings Road in Westeros, Lann remembers jokingly mentioning the Law of Accidents to Arya's father, Eddard Stark, which happened to Arya.

However, for a long time, although Lan En was fairly clear about the power of so-called 'fate', he was not too worried about it.

After all, the time that happened is not that long ago, not even ten years.

Moreover, he didn't have a spirit beacon that could record world coordinates at the time, so after sending Aria back to her original world, the two worlds were essentially disconnected.

This is neither his nor Arya's fault, nor is it something that their abilities can influence.

If the power of 'fate' is truly so great, then it should be 'fate' that worries about how to reunite two people who have lost contact and are separated by two different worlds.

"Good name."

Lan En stroked the wolf's head and praised it, making Letina glance at him again, feeling that his tone was a little strange.

But she didn't dwell on it too much; after all, this was the helper who had saved them from Du Juan, and she was trustworthy.

"You're standing here," Letina said, looking at the cloth-wrapped spear stuck in the muddy ground. "Do you know him?"

On the ground lay the corpse of the Son of Platinum, his head and face skinned off.

Lan En nodded: "We met before. Because I didn't cause any trouble, he gave me a small snack..."

After a moment of silence, Lan En shook his head: "Although he can't speak and has no expression, I can tell that he's a good person."

This is why he quickly joined in after arriving at the hunting site.

Unlike the still somewhat naive Fluffball, Lan En wouldn't easily get involved in a conflict if he didn't understand the situation.

After all, in the midst of fighting and strife, everyone is fierce and full of murderous intent. If you don't know the reason, who can be considered a good person?
It's true that vulnerable groups easily evoke sympathy, but the reality is that being vulnerable is only about success or failure; failure naturally makes one appear vulnerable. It has nothing to do with whether one is on the side of justice or not.

By highlighting a past failure, everyone can portray themselves as a vulnerable group.

A coherent history and context are the foundation for making judgments.

But regardless, after taking a decent Platinum Son and viciously mocking him, peeling off his skin and making a hood from it... Lan En finally began to act.

"According to your customs, is it necessary to collect the bodies?" Lann asked, looking past Letina at the group of Platinum Sons cleaning up the battlefield. "If you don't mind, we can help."

“We have a custom of burying the dead, after all, we cannot return to the trees.” Letina glanced at the velvet ball and Lann with her cold eyes, “But… please forgive me, I am very grateful for your help, but the location of the village… I cannot say.”

Lan En nodded: "I understand."

The location of the Son of Platinum's village cannot be revealed; it's a matter of survival, not morality.

That means even if they wanted to help collect the body, the other party wouldn't accept their help.

The corpses of the cuckoo and the son of platinum will remain in this yellow, poisonous mud, becoming nourishment for those poisonous creatures.

Perhaps the unknown village of the Son of Platinum is still counting on this toxic swamp for protection.

For the sake of understanding from the Witcher and the Palico, Letina bowed on the wolf's back.

“If there is anything I can help with, please tell me, Faded One,” Letina said solemnly as she straightened up. “I will do everything in my power.”

Lan En was about to wave his hand and say forget it, he didn't care about anything.

But then he thought better of it and stopped raising his hand.

“There is indeed something,” Lann scratched his head, “Your Platinum Sons are also long-standing inhabitants of the Lienia region, right?”

The Son of Platinum is a product of the Eternal City, and beneath Lienia lies an Eternal City.

Perhaps they are the original inhabitants of this area.

Cutting off the scalps of the natives? Lan En had a strange sense of déjà vu when he thought about this.

“I’m currently on business in Lienia, but the various factions and relationships here are incredibly complex. I desperately need someone who has witnessed this long history and understands the intricacies involved to consult with me and help me sort things out.” Letina frowned on her pale face: “You… need an elderly wise man?”

She then shook her head: "The Sons of Platinum do have a long history on this land, but at the same time, we have short lifespans. It's hard enough for generations to just live, let alone pass on knowledge."

“We have an elder named Elpas. He might know something. But he's old, and his legs have atrophied to the point of almost disappearing, so he can't leave the village…”

Even with Letina's cool demeanor and expressionless demeanor, she felt ashamed at this point.

After all, she had just said a moment ago that she would do her best to help if she could.

However, given the living conditions of the "Platinum Sons" group and their own physical defects, the amount of help they can offer is very limited.

“You don’t necessarily have to answer my questions in person,” Lan En waved his hand and said. “Just tell me where such a person might be. I just want to ask about something and I don’t care where the information comes from.”

Finally, after thinking for a while, Letina pointed out a location to Lann on the eastern shore of Lake Lienia, slightly to the north.

She said there should be a rather old church here, where even the marriage ceremony between Radagan and the "Full Moon Queen" Renara was held.

However, the situation has now changed from the initial 'alliance between the Gold and the Moon' to a renewed 'civil war between the Royal Family and the Academy'. It's uncertain whether the church and its priests are still there.

But if they were still alive, the church priest who could serve as the host of the marriage between the Golden Dynasty and the Caria royal family would know far more than the average person and would have a much deeper understanding of the essence of things.

Lann and Velvet Ball were the first to leave the yellow, poisonous mudflats, making it easier for Letina and the other Platinum Sons to return to their unknown village.

Leaving the dim area shrouded by the mountain's concavity, the azure sky of Lienia and the light of the golden trees in the distance once again bathed me.

Even the mist and dampness on the lake seemed refreshing and pleasant compared to the yellow, poisonous mud.

A crab the size of a bus got up from the mudflats by the lake and started wandering around. Neither Lann nor the velvet ball were hungry, so they didn't bother it.

"How did you end up here, Pompom?"

Walking onto the grass, a little further from the lake, Lan En asked the little cat walking beside him with its head down.

This place is located south of the Flame Martial Arts Cult camp it is responsible for monitoring, and it is already quite a distance away.

“I spotted some people in red robes walking this way, acting suspiciously, so I wanted to follow them to see what was going on.” The velvet ball adjusted its small helmet. “But when I took a detour to track them, I saw Azalea slaughtering the Son of Platinum below the mountainside. And then…”

As she spoke, the calico cat lowered its head in disappointment once again, its little paws scratching together in frustration.

"I'm sorry, boss. Was I... such a failure, meow?"

Lan En looked down at the usually lively and cheerful Palico, then stepped forward and squatted down in front of it.

"You mean you didn't properly monitor that suspicious target? Or... you failed to save more Platinum Children?"

"I think I have them all, meow."

"Well, it's not a big deal then." Lan En patted the little helmet with the velvet ball in his palm and said with a smile. "As for surveillance, as long as it's not discovered, it doesn't matter if it's lost. It can be replaced sooner or later."

“And the fact that we couldn’t save those Platinum Sons,” Lann pursed his lips, “is something we can’t help, Fluffball.”

"But...but if it's you, Boss! Then..."

"There's nothing we can do about it," Lan En calmly interrupted the velvet ball's self-pity.

He pressed the velvet ball's head, making it look at him intently.

“I’ve encountered this situation before, you little ball of fluff. And I’m quite honest to say: I did pretty much the same thing as you back then.”

"That was before I went to the New World. Back then, I wasn't strong enough, decisive enough, and afraid of taking responsibility."

"I once wanted to protect a group of people, but in the end, I still couldn't..."

"There are many who want to slaughter them, and many who need to be protected. But there are very few who can stand between the two."

The Witcher and his cat companion stared intently at each other.

“The weak are very fragile, so fragile that a single careless mistake or a momentary contact in combat can result in massive casualties.”

"I'm not as amazing as you think, Fluffy Ball." Lan En laughed freely and frankly, his clear smile startling even the dejected kitten.

"In that situation, I was like an impotent rage-crazed person who was blinded by anger but had no idea where to vent it."

“Boss…” the velvet ball tilted its head, “Do you also have times when you’re angry but powerless to do anything about it?”

In Rongbuqiu's eyes, her boss always seemed to be very capable, able to solve any problem.

Lann even joked, "If you want to know exactly how I was in such a rage, you can ask the Ember Knights. They probably saw it all clearly."

(End of this chapter)