Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 1858, page 1830: The Bond with the Tortoise
When someone talks about the unpleasant past, it's easy for others to tell whether they've truly let go and found peace, or if they're still holding grudges.

It depends on whether he has truly overcome his painful past.

The velvet ball could clearly sense Lan En's current state.

The kitten looked at its leader, its big, watery eyes sparkling! It seemed to admire him even more than before!

“Just like you said before, Pompom.” Lann patted its little helmet. “Take this as a lesson to help you grow, not an insurmountable setback.”

"People will always encounter difficulties they can't solve, but they shouldn't break down every time they encounter one, right?"

"Mmm...mmm!" The little ball of fluff nodded its head vigorously. "I...I understand, meow!"

"Huff?"

The Qilin, craning its neck, strolled over from the nearby grass and looked at the two people on the ground with a puzzled expression.

'What do you understand, I'm telling you?'

The velvet ball, now energized, scratched the qilin's head and pushed it aside. Wearing its small armor and carrying a small sword, it ran northwards on all fours to continue its surveillance mission.

Felynes are a lively, kind, cheerful, and hardworking race, and generally they don't get stuck on trivial matters.

The plush ball was one of the warriors among them, which made Lann's conversations even more effective.

Lan En then pulled the Qilin's head back, climbed onto it, and ran towards the church that Letina had pointed out.
-
"Hello, so you are... one of the Faded Ones?"

"Welcome to the Church of Bonds. I am Milie, and I am in charge of managing this place. It's truly shameful that it has fallen into such a state of disrepair."

Opposite Lan En, a steady and gentle voice spoke, the male tone revealing wisdom and calmness.

The Witcher found the ancient church by following the directions, and luckily, the priest was still there.

But Lan En never expected that this "Church Priest of the Bond Church" would actually be a giant tortoise.

[The Priest of the Bond] Milie is shaped like a tortoise about the size of a camper van. His entire body is white, but compared to the white of the Platinum Child, it looks more like the whiteness of a tortoise's skin after it has dried out.

Its head was lying on the ground, topped with a pure white papal crown, and its limbs seemed to be unable to move easily.

The entire church, once a place of karmic connection, is now overgrown with weeds, its walls and dome crumbling, a scene of utter desolation.

Only the shallow pool, which seems to be the altar of the Church of the Union, not far from Milier, and the statues inside, have been kept intact and clean.

"Hello, Millie." Lann's excellent control of his expression prevented him from showing any surprise, and his tone remained normal. "Just call me Lann, I hope I haven't bothered you."

"Disturbing? How could that be?" Milie remained calm and wise, as if the church would remain unchanged and undisturbed whether anyone came or not.

After arriving at the border, Lan En often heard about 'wise beasts'. Looking at Milie, Lan En was convinced that it must be a wise beast.

"So, what is the purpose of your visit? As far as I know, those who have faded are all very busy."

Milie's large head rested on the church floor, which was now covered with soil and overgrown with grass, and his dark eyes blinked slowly.

"If you're here for a tour, please feel free to do so. My legs are too weak to walk properly, so I can't show you around."

"If you see something you like inside the church, don't hesitate to take it. Leaving it here is just a waste."

"Or perhaps you've come here for scholarly pursuits?"

At this point, the giant tortoise, who had maintained a calm tone throughout, showed a hint of interest.

"If that is so, I am willing to impart all my knowledge to you. Magic or prayer, there is no distinction between high and low in learning. This truth is even more evident where the two are united."

"You can also teach magic and prayer?" Lann asked in surprise. "It seems you're quite the scholarly turtle after all."

The giant tortoise smiled and said, "If there are prayer books and magic books, of course."

"Don't let my current physical limitations fool you. I am still the wise beast chosen by Renara. In other words, I am proof that the Full Moon Queen possesses the qualities to become a king."

Milie was humble and gentle, making people feel comfortable and at ease when they talked to him.

But this skill is clearly extraordinary.

According to it, different schools of magic and different beliefs in prayer are things that can be directly taught to others after reading the textbook.
Anyone who has ever taught others knows that if you want to impart knowledge to others, then the teacher's own expertise in that knowledge must be quite high.

“I do have a prayer book here, but I didn’t come to the church for that kind of knowledge.”

Lan En took a step back in front of Milie and sat cross-legged on the grass. Although Milie's head was on the ground, due to her size, it was about the same height as Lan En's as he was sitting cross-legged.

“Actually, I found out about the location of this church by asking around.” Lann scratched his head. “As for the purpose… I’m actually interested in the history of Lienia, so I wanted to consult a wise and experienced person.”

“Ah, history.” The giant tortoise blinked. “History is more important than power. I am honored that you have a thirst for knowledge about it and have come to me.”

Milie paused for a moment, seemingly considering how to explain the history of this land to Lann.

"When talking about Lienia, one cannot ignore a great queen, namely the Full Moon Queen, Renara."

"The Caria royal family and the Realucaria Academy have been rooted in this lake region since ancient times, and they regard each other as enemies."

"But one day, a girl was born into the Kalia royal family."

Milier recounted the story of the girl, his tone carrying a hint of fond memories.

"Like her ancestors, the girl first embarked on a journey of constantly chasing the stars, since so-called pyroxene is amber formed from stars. And amber often contains the power of fragments of life."

"The magic of pyroxene is to manifest the power of pyroxene—the power that comes from the stars and the fragments of star life."

"At the end of that journey, she encountered the full moon, and later became queen by mastering the magic of the full moon."

"And unprecedentedly, she not only ruled the Caria royal family, but also conquered the ancient enemy Rearucaria, becoming the Queen of Lienia in one fell swoop."

"Later, the Golden Dynasty rose and expanded, invading Lienia twice. The story of [Red Hair] Rdagan marrying [Queen of the Full Moon] is also a well-worn one."

“But it’s precisely because it’s a familiar story that this history is all the more valuable.” Lan En rested his elbows on his knees as he sat cross-legged. “Besides, I’d also like to hear from the perspective of someone who experienced it firsthand.”

The giant tortoise before us is the pastor of this church where marriage was arranged, and it's where Renara and Radagan's wedding was held. In other words, it was the witness to that marriage!

“Oh, so you are actually exploring history with a specific goal in mind?” Milier raised his head, then lowered it again. “That’s good. It will prevent the historical narrative from becoming too loose and ending up being a jumbled mess.”

"Lord Rdagan is now the second [Royal Consort], but his actions back then remain a mystery. What exactly was the reason that Lord Rdagan abandoned Lady Renara?"

"The so-called second King of Elden is far less prestigious than Lord Govre. He needs to consult with the demigods under the Golden Tree before he can govern. Is he really more authoritative than the King of Lienia who can make decisions with a single word?"

"On another note, Lord Radagan is merely a hero, so why was he chosen by Queen Marika to be the King of Elden?"

'This must have caused quite a stir back then,' Lann thought to himself. 'A mere hero who conquered Lienia twice, only to resolve the issue through marriage in the end, has risen to become the King of Elden.'

Of course, Rdagan was probably the second-tier leader of the Golden Dynasty, second only to the First King, Gavri.

But a second-tier player is still a second-tier player. How can someone rise to the top and become king overnight?

“However, regarding Lord Radagan…” For once, the humble and gentle giant tortoise had a slightly furtive look on his face, “I’ve heard a secret about him.”

"In the capital of the Golden Tree, there is a renowned sculptor who was commissioned by the royal family to create a large statue of Lord Radagan... It is said that he glimpsed the secret through this work. And he hid the secret inside that large statue."

"Let's leave this topic at that." The Witcher opened his mouth slightly and made a stop gesture with his hands. "The Golden Royal Family... Milie, I just want to know some history, I don't want to die."

"Oh, oh ho ho!" The big tortoise paused for a moment, then laughed out loud. "Yes, yes, I haven't talked to anyone for too long, so I've been a bit careless with my words."

"However, Lord Radagan is no longer someone who can be talked about casually, but Lady Renara does not have such concerns."

“That’s exactly what interests me,” Lann nodded to Milier. “After all, according to you, before the Golden Dynasty was established, Renara was capable of using the power of the Kalia royal family to subdue Rearucaria. How come a civil war has broken out again now?”

“The answer is simple, Lann,” Milie said clearly and calmly, “because [Full Moon Queen] Renara… she is no longer the hero who can subdue Realucaria.”

"Ever since Lord Radagan abandoned her, she has lost her heart. At the time, she was in the magic academy, which immediately realized this and imprisoned her. She rebelled against the Kalia royal family."

"From then on, Lady Renara could only rely on the amber egg containing the Great Rune given to her by Lord Radagan to get through each day. She devoted her whole being to that forbidden magic—a terrifying, reborn secret technique."

In the end, Milie's words carried a tone of admonition.

"I hope you can be careful too, Lan En. This is the immeasurable harm that comes from going back on your word after forming a bond."

As for Lan En, his lips had already started twitching when he said that Rena La had been betrayed.

"Wait a minute, Milie... You mean, right now. Right now, at this very moment, the [Queen of the Full Moon] is still imprisoned at the Academy of Realucalia?!"

Milie replied calmly, "That's exactly right."

(End of this chapter)