Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 1940, 1912: Kicking Down the Door
Dolores's message was clear, concise, and carried the air of a seasoned veteran.

These faded individuals are now changing their status due to the approaching war.

Step out of the mode of being assigned by two commanders to carry out small-scale covert operations, and return to the atmosphere of large-scale, head-on battles during the War of Titans.

But Lann still blinked at the towering city walls of Rodel.

No... how would I know exactly what you mean by "just like during the War of Titans"?

If Lan En is a true Faded One, then he is naturally a veteran of the Golden Dynasty who participated in the Giant War, and these things should be ingrained in his bones.

Unfortunately, the Witcher is not.

However, Lan En considered himself a respectable man who had experienced many big scenes. Although he didn't know how the Titan War in this world was fought, since the war hadn't started yet, he wouldn't show any fear now.

There's still a month left.

He'd ask Melina then if the little wooden boy knew anything about the Titan Wars. With such an encyclopedia in his possession, and his own learning ability, he felt he wouldn't have anything to be ashamed of a month later.

Immediately, the Witcher's expression returned to normal, as if he truly knew how the War of the Giants was fought.

"I'm OK."

Dolores naturally trusted Lann's words completely.

The woman dressed as a man pressed down on her hunting hat in the wind, turned and left, giving instructions as she went.

"Then the South Gate is in your hands for the time being."

Lan En and the velvet ball exchanged a glance and shrugged.

"Heave-ho!" The kitten jumped up from the edge of the city wall, landed next to Lan En, and followed him step by step towards the bottom of the city wall.

“A siege battle is usually quiet before it begins.” Lan En walked up the elevator with the velvet ball. “Let’s go down and wait at the city gate.”

In fact, the more experienced a soldier is, the more relaxed, or even absent-minded, he will appear on the battlefield.

Because the battlefield environment is almost the same as the normal environment for ordinary people.

The walls of many castles were not only defensive structures, but also served as rest stops for soldiers on duty and observation rooms for lookouts.

In giant cities like Rodel, there are numerous armories, soldiers' quarters, kitchens, and warehouses distributed within the city walls.

For example, at the city gate, the sentries also had special rooms inside the city walls.

Rodel's soldiers had indeed entered a familiar state of combat readiness.

Lan En's sudden arrival did not cause any disturbance among the city gate soldiers, as if they had known all along that there would definitely be corresponding powerful figures stationed at various important positions on the city wall.

The Golden Dynasty was a divine dynasty that emerged from the primitive and barbaric Age of Gods, fought its way out of nothing. The soldiers understood very well the role of the strong in war.

It could even be said that these overwhelmingly powerful individuals shaped the form of warfare on this land.

After descending the city wall, it was dinnertime, so Rongbuqiu and Lan En took their seats as arranged by the soldiers.

Qilin was catching up on sleep in the round table hall.

Rodel's walls are magnificent, and the space inside is also large.

This canteen was responsible for providing meals to the soldiers stationed and patrolling along a large section of the city wall.

Although the dining time was off, there were still quite a few people inside.

A dozen or so servants with wooden barbs hanging around their necks were bustling around the fireplace, the cauldron, and the table.

The knife kept striking the cutting board, and the iron spoon stirred the pot rhythmically, bringing out aromas and steam. The spoon occasionally scraped against the bottom of the pot.

The wooden boards on their chests would tap against their chests with each movement, but they seemed to have gotten used to it, which perfectly matched the original meaning of the neck and hand yoke.

The Golden Tree faith requires people to exercise self-control.

There were also several dozen Rodel soldiers and five or six Rodel knights eating there.

The equipment of the Rodel soldiers was far inferior to that of the knights.

The knights wore full plate armor, and this style had become widely known in the border regions as the Rodel knights conquered.

The soldiers also had their own classes.

Senior soldiers wear a golden helmet and are covered with layers of cotton armor, chainmail, and plate armor, with a cylindrical tunic bearing the insignia of their faction on top.

Low-ranking soldiers are rarely seen on the battlefield; they only have a drab, gray cotton armor for protection. Their helmets are also dull-looking iron products.

Even inside the walls of a magnificent city like Rodel, the poor lighting meant that dim candlelight was still necessary.

Upon entering, the surrounding soldiers and knights merely stood up to acknowledge him before sitting back down to begin their meal.

The soldier who brought Lan En and the velvet ball naturally went over and found a seat at the long table to sit down and eat.

Among the servants busy around the fireplace, one naturally stepped forward and led Lann to sit at a separate round table.

The chairs next to the table were noticeably larger than normal, and like many of the utensils in the Golden Dynasty, they looked quite old.

This small table was clearly prepared specifically for strong individuals whose physiques differed from ordinary people.

The plush ball also jumped onto the chair, and like the Knights of Rodel, took off its little helmet and placed it on the table, then obediently squatted down.

The importance of the strong in the battlefield environment, as well as the respect, service, and integration shown to the strong, are things that need no further explanation in the Golden Dynasty; they are ingrained in their habits and taken for granted. Even the high-standard recipes provided to the strong, when served, show that they have been simmering for at least several hours in advance, even though Lan En is not very good at cooking.

It seems that ever since the enemy besieged the city during the day, even the cooks on the walls of Rodel have naturally switched to their old combat mode and are now preparing high-standard recipes.

This means they've collaborated with powerful individuals in various situations countless times over a long period of time, allowing them to manifest these actions as if they were habits.

"Red wine stewed wild boar neck meat, served with herb salad. The main course is golden rooibos dried bread."

Large plates and cutlery, befitting Lann's size, were placed before the Witcher. The servant who led him to his seat explained the contents of the plates as he arranged them.

The kitten twitched its nose, looking very hungry.

"It's a pity Qilin didn't come," the kitten chuckled adorably smugly, reaching out to tear off a large piece of the Golden Roja Fruit Bread. "It would have loved this bread, what a shame, meow!"

Golden Roya dried fruit is a variant of Roya fruit that has been exposed to the power of the golden tree at close range on the Alpine Plateau. The golden part is as sweet as honey.

Humans cannot digest Roja fruit, but its sweetness is very rich and light, making it a suitable additive for bread.

Of course, whether or not he could digest food was irrelevant to Lan En. His pre-existing stomach and pebble kidneys made it very difficult for him to suffer from food poisoning or indigestion.

Lan En wasn't being pretentious. The cooks in the army had high-standard recipes, but their skills couldn't compare to Dean Aretusa's private kitchen.

However, the ingredients are substantial and novel to Lan En, so there's not much to say about that.

The Witcher cut a fist-sized piece of meat from the cast-iron pot that had been simmering for hours and put it on his plate.

While cutting the supplies, he casually asked the servant about Rodel's inventory.

The servant didn't know much, after all, the supplies were considered a military secret. All he knew were the few storage rooms connected to the kitchen and canteen.

One room was for grains, another for vegetables, and the third for meat and spices.

As expected.

“Everything is full, Faded One.” The servant’s face showed no panic at the impending war, but rather a sense of relief. “To be honest, I feel much more at ease being able to use up all that stock quickly. Otherwise, sorting out the inventory is too much trouble.”

As he spoke, he straightened the wooden board around his neck, which resembled a shackle.

The Golden Age was a time of prosperity and flourishing for all things.

Even if the people of the Golden Tree live a life of leisure and waste their time, the prosperity brought about by the Golden Law has reached a terrifying level.

Immortality, abundant resources... it all seemed to have come naturally, and would continue forever as a matter of course.

However, that prosperous and flourishing golden age of law has passed.

Now war is brewing again... If the people of the Golden Tree still cling to the insensitive attitude towards material things and time they had during the Golden Age, it's hard to say how their lives will turn out. And how the borderlands will be ravaged in the process.

It is difficult to go from luxury to frugality.

However, Lan En didn't say much to the cook servant, after all, he was only in charge of the kitchen and canteen inside a city wall.

If we really want the people of the Golden Tree to pay attention to this matter and suffer less in the future, we must talk to the higher-ups, or even the King of Blessing himself, and have strict laws promulgate.

They've been living under the Golden Law for who knows how long; how can personal habits be changed so easily?

After dinner, Lan En and Rongbuqiu went to their sentry post under the city gate and took their positions. Their work had begun.

And the other side.

“We should just detain him!” Krep said coldly. “His father is a traitor now! What right does he have to act like a demigod?”

Bai Zhi, who was walking at the front, shook his head silently.

Ultimately, there's still a month to go. Even if Gevya were to rebel, it wouldn't be until a month later that the matter would be settled.

Before this, he and his son were still demigods of the Golden Dynasty.

The lone mage Viherer, who was walking with them, didn't say anything either. He was a quiet person by nature, and even if he disagreed, he wouldn't say much.

A group of men led a band of golden, gleaming Rodel knights down Rodel Avenue.

Walk straight to a luxury mansion in a prime location on the main street and stop at the gate.

Bai Zhi stepped forward first and politely knocked on the door.

"Good evening, Lord Grek. Do you have time to talk?"

Sir Hundred-Minded knocked several times, and the first two times went well. After those two knocks, Krepp and Viherer's expressions immediately darkened.

Furthermore, Baizhi himself suspiciously increased the force of his knock.

After tapping it for the third time.

"Oh!"

With a muffled thud, Sir Hundred Wisdom smashed the door open with a single punch! Krep, following behind, added a kick, blasting the door into the house!

But even after the door was opened wide, Baizhi's face was still shrouded in darkness beneath his helmet.

Krepp's face, however, looked visibly ugly.

(End of this chapter)