Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 2053 2025. Fragrant Dreamland
The Witcher's expression tightened slightly under Margarita's intrigued questioning.

It wasn't that he was worried Margarita would get angry at him or throw a tantrum.

Sorceresses can be considered a pioneering group of open-minded individuals in the magical medieval era. By gaining magical power and high social status as women, they were inherently rebellious figures who ran counter to the overall social landscape of the Middle Ages.

So be it, the sorceresses didn't care about the gaze of the outside world. Instead, they 'stared' back at them in a very confrontational way—most of them deliberately let their hair down naturally, without wearing hats, hairnets, or buns.

This disheveled hairstyle would be considered the attire of a prostitute in a magical medieval setting.

They were meant to wear the hairstyles of prostitutes that others looked down on, so that people would have to bow respectfully to them.

So, knowing that Lann still loved her, Margarita didn't care at all whether he was having sexual relations with other women.

She even felt that this kind of play would provide an extra thrill to their relationship.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have gotten along so well with Cassandra, and she wouldn't have been able to properly settle Maria and Adeline, who came from Yharnam.

Besides, Lan En has a clear conscience now!
After arriving at the border region, he made some friends, including some women. However, he didn't have any deeper entanglements with any of them.

The reason he looked tense was because he was a little unsure.

Melina should have... left on her own, right?

The existence of the Soul Girl is inherently silent and traceless. As long as she does not wish to reveal herself, Lan En must activate [Spirit Vision] to see her.

The Witcher had gotten used to Melina being with him for a while, and then Margarita suddenly became agitated.

Lan En then used the most direct method to interrupt her, allowing her to calm down after she had completely vented her emotions.

As for now...

The Witcher looked around nervously.

"Oh?" The experienced Margarita could tell at a glance that Lann wasn't worried about the sleeping Valkyrie at the camp, so she raised an eyebrow meaningfully. "Is it someone else?"

Lan En had nothing to hide from her, especially when it came to matters of love and romance.

"Don't even think about Malenia," Lann warned her first. "She carries the highest level of corruption, and is a god-like being burdened by the law of [Crimson Corruption]. Ordinary people will literally die a horrible death just by being near her..."

Taking advantage of the combined sense of mental and physical clarity and relaxation after making love, Lan En held Margarita close, tidying her messy hair that was wet with sweat, while explaining various common knowledge about the border region to her.

Gods, divine beings, demigods, the golden tree, the law, the Elden Ring...

Lan En explained each of these words, which had their own unique meanings in the border region, to her one by one.

Margarita only arrived at the border today, and she immediately has a series of things to do.

On the one hand, her busy schedule left her little chance to reveal her unusual ignorance of the border region's common knowledge. On the other hand, she also had little opportunity to learn about this world.

Margarita, who had initially teased her lover, began to take it seriously.

After all, this was her first time stepping into another world, and this other world already had such different underlying rules.

As Lann succinctly recounted the events, Margarita gradually began to visualize the current situation at the border and the landscape of this world.

The sorceress frowned.

The one true god shattered the one divine throne, and the remaining candidates and ambitious individuals emerged, each wanting to mold the world into their ideal form...

"Good heavens," Margarita shook her head and sighed, "This wouldn't be over even if they beat someone's brains to a pulp!"

Margarita couldn't even imagine how brutal and severe the war for godhood and the right to set the rules of the world could be.

However, Margarita has always been broad-minded and easygoing, and she doesn't dwell on troubles.

Besides, she and Lan En are both just passing through this world; they'll leave sooner or later. Why worry so much?
Conversely, other things...

“So,” the sorceress raised an eyebrow at Lann in a conclusive tone, “besides this Valkyrie burdened with [Crimson Corruption], you also have a little girl with the soul of a golden demigod by your side?”

"Where are you? Call them out so I can get to know you."

Margarita, always eager for a good show, looked around curiously.

“Demigod is a title. Although Melina is a part of Queen Marika that she took from herself, she is not a demigod without being awarded the title.”

As Lann explained, he held Margarita's head still.

"Alright, alright! We should head back now!"

Amid the witcher's shoving and urging, and Margarita's teasing, the two tidied their clothes and appearance and headed back towards the makeshift camp.

Not long after the two left, a long sigh of relief suddenly came from the grass where they had been standing. But there was nothing around them.

When Lan En and Margarita returned, the velvet ball was already leisurely lying on the Qilin's belly.

The New World Ancient Dragon's belly trembled with its breath, and the kitten hugged its own belly and smacked its lips contentedly.

They had clearly already eaten. The velvet ball expertly covered the pot with the lid and placed it not far from the campfire, using the heat from the fire to keep it warm.

It's normal for people to share a pot in the wild, given the conditions.

Although Margarita enjoyed lavish displays, she was now completely at peace, so there was no reason for her to find the food unappetizing.

Apart from the sound of the wind and the rustling of grass blades dancing in the wind, there was no other noise on the cemetery plain.

In this solitude, sounds from afar begin to become clearer.

It was a series of very heavy footsteps, and I didn't know what was making them or what they were doing.

The Shadowlands have been separated from the Borderlands for so long that even the locals in the Borderlands mostly know little about this place.

The butter-fried seafood with velvet balls was delicious, especially when paired with reheated garlic bread.

After a quick meal, Lann and Margarita lay down on their sleeping bags to rest.

Everything in the cemetery plain seemed deathly still. After walking around for a while, Lan En felt there was no need to keep watch, so he prepared to go to sleep as well.

However, before closing his eyes, the Witcher turned to look at the Valkyrie who was already lying on the edge of the sleeping bag.

Although Lann usually has a very regular schedule, and as a Space Marine, he also has enhanced organs in his body to regulate his body's rhythms.

But this time, he fell asleep unusually quickly again.

In the hazy atmosphere, a sweet floral fragrance wafted past my nose.

Lan En opened his eyes and found himself still in a makeshift camp on the cemetery plain.

However, the illusory spirit tombs and tombstones on the plains remain, while the withered grass has turned into a sea of ​​purple flowers.

This makes the already desolate and eerie cemetery plain even more surreal.

Getting up from his sleeping bag, the Witcher looked around and found that the sleeping bags used by the Velvet Ball, the Kirin, and Margarita were still there, but they were empty.

[Lyman's Ear] From the sound of the wind swaying the sea of ​​flowers, Lan En carefully discerned the voices coming from afar and stood up to walk towards them.

Similar to the location chosen by the Witcher and the Sorcerer, the voices also came from the back of the hillside above the cave.

As Lan En drew closer, the sounds he heard became clearer and clearer.

"I have lost patience and trust in you, Torina."

Marlenia's voice was calm, yet carried an unspoken chill.

It was as if her prosthetic knife had already sprung up in front of her elbow.

“Mikaela has now arrived in the Shadowlands, and he has completed the first half of his plan. But you’re telling me he didn’t leave me a single word?”

“You are his other half, you should know that I have discussed this plan and agreement with him more than once. You shouldn’t lie to me about this.”

"Deception?" Torina retorted.

Her voice remained calm and unhurried when questioned, and it was ethereal, like an echo from a dream.

“Isn’t that right?” Marlenia said. “Michaela and I have a clear division of labor. He makes sure he gets into the Shadowlands and prepares everything once he’s inside. Meanwhile, I, on the outside, must begin my mission simultaneously. Only through our cooperation can we obtain our final hope.”

"And you, now you've tricked me into coming to the Shadowlands too! You've completely severed our connection with the Borderlands!"

For once, Marlenia's usually calm voice betrayed a clear anger.

It seems she really values ​​the 'plan' she made with Michaela.

However, Marlenia's anger did not affect Torina in the slightest.

"Mikaela wants you to kill Rataen after he enters the Shadowlands."

With her ethereal voice, Torina casually dropped a bombshell!

Lan En paused involuntarily as he approached this place.

'Kill Rataen'?
The one who could casually turn more than 10,000 people into orbital mass projectiles, and then leave them unharmed after the impact?

Anyone who faces this kind of person will feel tense, let alone try to kill him.

But Torina continued speaking.

“Mikaela helped you develop the plan, but he never seemed to care about your part, and you never asked the most crucial question—how are you going to defeat Ratahn, or even kill him?”

“Useless words.” Marlenia said firmly, “That is my task, and I will do it.”

(End of this chapter)