Chapter 238 The Night Demon returns for a limited time.
“From a power perspective, the Svablos sect has been completely destroyed. There is no longer any obstacle to East’s coronation. No matter which family it is, it can no longer find fault. ."
Since even King Bran agrees with this, Lann will have no other opinions. Could it be that he, a foreign Duke of Cintra, could understand Skellige better than the King of Skellige?
"Fortunately, Lann, you have turned the two original competitors of the Dimen family and the Drummond family into your own this time, completely clearing possible obstacles in the future." King Bran sighed, " I know Lugo very well, and I can guess what he is thinking just by listening to you recount his performance." "
He is an awkward guy, but he is also a typical islander who wants to make him one of our own. It's easy: save his life, or conquer him."
King Bran laughed: "Except Kratz, of course. No matter what the Krait family does to the Drummond family, it is impossible to change their attitude."
Kratz snorted heavily.
Lan thought for a moment and asked a question: "What about the Diemen family? Hog Blackhand is dead, who will inherit it? Do we want to get involved and support an heir who is close to us to control the Diemen family?" "No,
Lan Well, that's not how the islanders do things. We will not interfere in the internal affairs of other families." King Bran shook his head seriously, but then comforted, "But now it seems that the Dimen family has its own heir. -Jutta Ann Dimen."
"She is a direct relative of Hogg. She has superb martial arts skills and was once Hogg's personal shield. Although she failed to protect Hogg, she followed East. He destroyed the gathering place of the Svablo sect and chopped up the statue of the evil god with his own hands."
King Bran stroked his beard: "We will not interfere with the internal affairs of the Dimen family, but we can release this news and spread the word about Jutta. What she has done shows our attitude of praising Jutta. Coupled with her own achievements and the reputation of the 'Iron Lady', it is enough for her to run for the position of the head of the Dimen family." Sifan Rui, sitting behind King
Bran Ji nodded thoughtfully, expressing admiration for his father's way of "not interfering with the internal affairs of other families but still being able to influence the election of the patriarch."
"If Jutta takes office, we don't have to worry about the Dimen family's attitude. She has already expressed her support for me after Hogg's death." East added.
Then, he looked at Lann thoughtfully: "If it doesn't work..."
Lann was looked at by East in confusion.
Kratz suddenly stepped forward and patted Lan on the shoulder: "The reputation of the 'Iron Lady' is very loud! Her sword skills are the best in Faroe Island. She once swore to the goddess Freya that only those who defeat her are qualified to follow her. She stayed overnight, married her, and even let her bear children for her. There were many people who challenged her, but no one succeeded, and she even got the nickname 'Iron Lady' from this." "And Lan,
you ..." East took over Kratz's words, and the smile on his face began to become inexplicable, "Did you chop her away with the back of a knife to save her on the battlefield?" Lann was stunned
. Trying hard to remember: "At that time, a giant bear pounced on Hog Blackhand, who was still alive. I wanted to save him, but Jutta was in the middle of the road..." This time it wasn't just
Kratz and East. , even the father and son, King Bran and Svenridge, had unimaginable smiles on their faces.
"From a swordsman's point of view, you have shown insurmountable power, and you can be considered as 'defeating' her." Kratz patted Lan's shoulder hard again, "Didn't you realize that the way she looked at you along the way was wrong? Are you done?"
Don't tell me, Lann really didn't pay attention. He has become accustomed to similar looks, and even the corresponding senses have become dull because of it. Thinking about it carefully at this time, it seems that it really means something...
"Tsk." Lann had a headache and felt that the pressure on himself had increased greatly.
In fact, what they said was just a joke. With Ciri here, there was no way Lann could really be allowed to complete such a "political task."
And what kind of person East is, he himself has absolute confidence in following Jutta. If you can't conquer such a little girl, how can you become the King of Skellige?
In this situation, teasing Lan En was more of a relaxed chat.
It’s impossible to really rely on Lan’s sacrifice, right?
No way?
...
There are still a few days until the new meeting of the seven major families.
Due to the lessons learned last time, King Bran will be more rigorous in holding meetings this time, and the arrival of other family patriarchs will also be more cautious.
This will definitely take more time.
After communicating with Mossak in Sintra and confirming that everything was going well and there was no need for Lan to rush back to deal with any emergencies, Lan actually had a rare moment of free time.
However, before he could breathe a sigh of relief, a piece of sudden bad news was delivered to him.
...
"Are you leaving?"
When Lan said this, Gede stood in front of him. The tall bear witcher had a reluctant smile on his face, but his actions were still decisive.
Yes, Gerd is leaving the team.
"It's been a pleasure adventuring with you, Lan. I also believe that the future of the reconstruction of the Witcher Order and the revival of the Demon Hunter group you described will definitely come." Ged said, "But I have already followed Torgil, do you still remember? This time I work with you to exterminate the Svablo sect, which is the task entrusted to me by Torgil as a member of the Tursek family." "
Now The Svablo sect has been destroyed, East is about to return to the throne, and I am going back." Gede laughed heartily, as if he wanted to dispel the heavy expression on Lan's face.
Lann tried his best to win back Gede: "Count Torgil is also a member of the Tursek family. Maybe we can..." "
You are a noble, and you must know that 'my lord's lord is not my lord'" This sentence." Gede shook his head, interrupting Lan's remaining persuasion, "Just because I follow Thorgil does not mean that I have to sacrifice my life for King Bran and East." "And I am with
Thorgil. The relationship between them is not that of lord and follower, but of friends." Gede added, "To be honest, I am also a little tired of the life of a witcher. Do you know what is waiting for me when I go back? Torzir will hold a hunt for me, as well as a banquet full of laughter and boasting, and my story will be the protagonist of the banquet!" So saying,
this bear-sect witcher who is always laughing said Finally, an expression of vicissitudes of life appeared. As a bear sect demon hunter, he appears to be exceptionally cheerful and talkative, almost making people forget that he is actually an old demon hunter whose qualifications may even exceed Leiso's.
"I didn't choose to be a demon hunter, but fate gave me no choice. But my life now makes me particularly satisfied." Gede patted Lan on the shoulder, "I can even be considered retired—— Ha, the first retired witcher in history, do you think this name is quite famous?"
Even after saying such words, Lan knew that there was no possibility of retaining Gede, so he could only show a bitter expression. Come smile.
Gede comforted: "Actually, if you let me join you, it might bring you trouble. I fled to Skellige because of the failure of the political struggle. Do you remember? I heard that Cintra is now It is in turmoil and is fighting for all possible power. But my joining may do more harm than good to you, causing your allies to turn their backs on you and increasing your enemies." Lan En could only shake his head after hearing this. So many reasons were added up
. Next, knowing that it is no longer possible to keep Ged: "No matter what, the door of Sintra will always be open to you. If you want to change a place to experience retirement life in the future, I will definitely entertain you well." Ged
haha Laughing, remembering Lann's promise that one day he would go to the gateway to the north to visit his old friend.
Before leaving, he suddenly remembered something, turned to Lan and said, "Maybe I can help you one last time - I heard that you are helping Fetov find his missing apprentice recently?" Lan nodded
.
"Fetov is a rare manipulator who can control the weather and call for the wind and rain. Not many druids can do this. If it weren't for careless management, I believe he can become the Oak Ring. Great mentor. Having a good relationship with such a strong man will be of great help to you."
Naturally, there is no need for Gerd to point this out, as Lan is now close to Fetov.
"If you want to help him find his apprentice, I may have some clues." Gede thought, showing an unspeakable expression, "I also went to Moss before when I helped Graysmit collect purple wormwood. Kogan Forest, I met a druid apprentice there."
Gede seemed to be considering the adjectives: "How should I say his condition...a bit drunk, so much that he didn't want to return to the Oak Ring. I don't know what he was. He's not Fetov's apprentice, but I believe he must know something."
Lann was stunned, and listening to Gede's words, he felt a familiar smell appear.
Sure enough, Gede then made a deep expression: "As for the reason why the apprentice stayed in the forest and was unwilling to return, it was also the reason why I couldn't pick the purple bittern." "There is a female night devil there.
"
— -
Great Skellig Island has two of the seven major families living here. It also has a huge trading port. Its level of development and civilization is quite high.
But even on such an island, there are vast virgin forests. This may be due to the deliberate maintenance of the Druids, and the growth of the Skellige people often requires mountains and forests to provide them with experience.
"Moskogan Forest" is the largest virgin forest among them.
In addition to the purple bittern that Gede is looking for, this forest also contains precious alchemy materials such as datura root and buffalo grass; in contrast, there are also groups of forest wolves, water ghosts, and evil spirits. , and even fork-tailed dragons, forest trolls and other harmful monsters.
There are even rumors that someone once witnessed a deer-headed spirit in the forest.
"Heifeng, stop for a moment -"
The black horse shuttled through the forest like the wind. After hearing the master's command, it suddenly became still. The momentum disturbed the air around it and brought the surrounding flowers and plants with it. With a slight sway,
Lan turned over and dismounted, leaned down, and carefully picked an herb with red flowers.
He was not followed by any soldiers from any family, not even Cintra's entourage or demon hunters.
With Lan En's current strength, he no longer needs followers to follow him. Human soldiers can neither threaten nor help him unless they reach a certain level. At most, they can do some chores for Lan En to make him feel more relaxed. And now is exactly the time when Lan wants to exercise himself.
The witchers can actually provide Lan with a lot of help. However, considering that he might not be able to stay in Skellig for long, Geralt and the others were entrusted by Lan to complete the commission - Skellige's commission.
After all, Skellig has a lot of commissions. This can not only help Lan fill the experience gap caused by Contract Bill and Svenridge, but also train the attendants and help them upgrade to provide themselves with strength early.
For example, looking for the Night Stalker... no, for the simple task of finding the Druid apprentice, Lan felt that he could do it alone.
...
After looking at the red flowers in his hand for a long time, Lan shook his head and gave up the idea of identifying the type of herb. He still hasn't memorized the herbal illustration given to him by Mossack. He can only tell that this herb is very cherished. As for what category it belongs to and what its name is, Lan is confused.
Just when Lan was annoyed, an emerald flame ignited on the black magic scimitar behind his back, and then an illusory figure wearing a black gothic-style plain dress appeared next to Lan.
Alice stood quietly on the grass, the sunlight shining on her body through the gaps in the trees, making her already hazy body even more illusive. She was obviously an illusory soul, but at this moment she was covered in golden sunlight, and even her skin sparkled as if it were dotted with diamonds.
The soul in the painting gently lifted up the black veil to reveal a pretty face. He looked closer at the herbs picked by Lan. After thinking for a moment, he said: "This seems to be a red mandala. It has an anesthetic effect, but unfortunately its roots It's not developed enough, otherwise you can get more precious alchemy materials."
The lion-eyed demon hunter holding the red mandala raised his eyebrows.
Facing Lan's surprised look, Alice slightly raised the corners of her mouth: "When you are busy, I usually draw on the side, and sometimes I also read some books. Mossack is knowledgeable, and he will give you Many of his textbooks are inaccessible to the noble class, and I have benefited a lot..."
Lann chuckled: "No, no need to explain, that's not what I care about. I am very happy that you finally recovered from the possessed scimitar. It's out. I've been bored all the time. Thank you for your hard work."
Alice lowered her eyelids: "Didn't you ask me to draw pictures for you and send them to the lords of various families in the archipelago? I think the scenery of this forest is very good, suitable for collecting scenery. , that's why I came out."
"As for being possessed by your scimitar, that's my own decision. I like to observe the changing scenery and you, but I don't want to appear in front of those soldiers, their eyes will make I'm very distressed."
Alice looked at Lan with a smile.
Heifeng snorted lightly, seeming to feel a familiar scent, and stepped forward to rub his companion. The spirit in the painting condenses the entity very cooperatively, and gently begins to help the horse groom its hair.
Lann chuckled lightly, flipped his left hand, and took out the map with the route marked by Gede. Then he turned on his demon hunter senses and began to identify his own path in the forest.
When he looked up again, he saw Alice already on horseback, seemingly waiting for him.
"Heifeng, let's go!"
The demon-hunting horse with shiny black hair neighed excitedly and began to gallop through the forest like a joy.
The demon-hunting horse's reaction was extremely fast. The virgin forest with numerous obstacles was obviously the most troublesome terrain for ordinary war horses. At this moment, Black Wind was actually playing an obstacle course game. It tossed and turned among the dense trees, occasionally leaping over rocks that could be easily avoided. When it passed the stream, it would deliberately kick its hooves and splash water.
Seeing that happy look, Lan En's mood improved a lot.
until……
With a "thud", the waist of a forest wolf was directly kicked by the black wind. It made a frightening crunching sound like a biscuit being broken. It howled and flew away and broke a small tree.
The remaining wolves finally understood that the black giant beast in front of them and the armored man on its back were not existences that they could mess with, and howled and disappeared deep into the forest.
It turns out that a pack of wolves looking for food found Black Wind and Lann.
Without waiting for Lan to dismount, Black Wind drove away the hungry beasts himself.
Seeing that Black Wind seemed to want to pursue the wolves deeper, Lan quickly pulled the reins and gently combed the horse's mane and neck.
"Black Wind, Black Wind, forget it..."
The horse's bellicosity and willfulness regardless of the situation still gave Lan a headache.
After finally calming down Black Wind, Lan wiped his sweat, but when he turned around, he saw the soul in the painting frowning.
She seemed extremely dissatisfied with the original joyful atmosphere being ruined. This opportunity to be alone with Lan was also extremely rare. At this time, her body had begun to burn with emerald-colored flames.
"Alice, Alice, please calm down..."
Lan quickly stretched out a hand to grab the soul in the painting.
He looked around hurriedly, only to find that he had reached the destination marked by Gede.
In front of him was a seemingly overgrown mountain road, but with Lan's demon hunter senses, he could clearly distinguish the life trajectories of humans and humanoid creatures.
Going up the mountain road, a deep cave soon appeared.
The traces had been deliberately hidden in previous places, but here it was much more perfunctory. Lan squatted down and quickly discovered the red footprints marked by pheromones on the ground through the witcher's senses. In addition to human footprints, there were also hoof prints.
found it.
After passing through a long tunnel covered with moss, bright light began to emit in front of our eyes. The experienced Lann knew that the bright color was not the sun, but candlelight.
Lann looked deep into the cave for a while, then looked back. Alice very consciously turned into a ball of emerald flame and returned to his dark magic scimitar. But Black Wind didn't want to enter this narrow place, so he swung his tail and ran towards the depths of the forest. All Lan needed was a whistle.
(End of chapter)