Bear School Astartes

Chapter 98: 98. Wolf Pack, Rabbit

The shattered wooden door was now hanging on the frame, its fibers dangling like strands.

The cause of the explosion was two war hammers.

Before the wooden debris hit the ground, two crossbow arrows flew through the dust.

Lann had reflexively formed a Magic Seal the moment the door shattered.

The two crossbow arrows were stopped at that point, bouncing away with a snap along with golden magic power fragments.

Lann took this opportunity to shield Alia behind him.

A dozen people surged into the small room like a tide.

Ten of them carried loaded crossbows, all aimed at Lann standing by the table.

”Don’t move, don’t move! Don’t move your fingers, or we’ll shoot you!”

With a tone that seemed playful, Ubank walked in.

This short, stout man had a Cossack-styled oil-slicked hair, slapping against his cheek with each step.

”Freyja is blessing me! I caught you so quickly. By the way, may I know your name?”

”Lann.” Lann splayed his hands, indicating he wouldn’t make a move while slightly tilting his head to look at Ubank.

”Lann from Sintra. By the way, if it’s true that the benevolent Freyja blesses you, then I’d wager even maggots receive divine grace.”

Freyja, a goddess popular in the Skellige Islands, has doctrines similar to Meretelli, leading many scholars to believe the two are actually one, merely divided during the spread of religion.

”Whoa, sharp words! This exceeds expectations. I always thought you were the kind who, once drawing your sword, would coldly cut down everything until no one stood without saying a word!”

Perhaps relieved that a burden was about to be lifted, Ubank dragged a chair and sat by the table, smiling as he stared at Lann.

”Our first official meeting... How interesting, a successful surprise attack forcing the sword master who kills us like chickens to stand obediently without moving.”

His entourage hilariously cooperated with a few chuckles.

They’d been considering how seriously Ubank took this opponent, ready to face him.

But storming in following the plan felt no different than dealing with any ordinary person.

Their eyes lightened as they aimed their crossbows while those with unarmed hands showed impatience typical of nearing job completion.

Together, they looked at Lann with malice similar to a pack of wolves eyeing a cornered prey.

Reckless and mocking.

Lann shrugged, ”That’s how combat is; even a stone that stubs your toe can let a beginner defeat a master.”

The young man’s composure made some of them laugh.

”Ha! That’s fitting for a ’Sword Master’; reacting differently when faced with trouble.”

Their insolence became evident.

Because the situation was clear: in a cramped space, over ten people were gathered, ten crossbows loaded, ready to launch and turn the target into a pincushion.

Heavy armor? Do you have heavy armor on your head?

Swordsmanship? Enclosed by many, can you even lift your hand?

Demon Hunter? Can an ordinary Demon Hunter withstand the combined force of a dozen?

They were the pack, while their opponent was no more than a small rabbit caught in their jaws.

Lann responded with a smile: ”I heard there’s been no violent crimes in Trade District for years; breaking into an inn room with armored backs and strung bows... there must be some big shot behind this.”

The group laughed together.

”How can you make such accusations, Mutant? We’re just honest and upright citizens unwilling to see our great city tainted by a Mutant and came around at night to teach you a lesson. What big shot?”

Lann shook his head.

”Honest citizens walking the streets at night in such gear; is the security team blind? Also, how did you find me?”

The group laughed heedlessly again.

It seemed they hadn’t intended to move discreetly and swiftly, showing no fear of news reaching the security team’s ears.

”Lann, oh, Lann.”

Ubank sat there, patting his thigh thoughtfully.

”Finding you isn’t easy, you’re very cautious. But it’s useless; we’re not just looking for you, we’ve checked all people disguising themselves entering the city over the past three days. It’s not about your caution, it’s about us being incredibly numerous beyond what you can imagine.”

”Besides, getting information from them won’t help. They’re employees of a local security company, hired just tonight. They sense someone above the company but don’t expect them to know who it is. They only know to follow the note I brought and will get paid after the job.”

”Don’t think you can trace this company for clues; the real owner hides behind convoluted share arrangements, like a spider in its web center. You can’t even hate them because you can’t know them. Only those doing dirty work become memorable for a lifetime.”

”So...” Lann’s expression remained calm.

”The security in the most important district of Vizima can be trampled upon so randomly.”

”Oh, words mustn’t be said carelessly!”

Ubank said with a smile.

”We’re impulsive honest citizens, naturally facing penalties after breaking the law.”

”We broke the door and window to enter; according to law, during your stay here, this room counts as personal territory, making this trespassing. According to security regulations, that’ll be three lashes, fines, and a month’s imprisonment. Then we took you and the little girl behind you. But no one shall see you both.”

”The innkeeper will testify you were still here when we left, your disappearance having nothing to do with us.”

Ubank smiled kindly, unlike a man from Skellige, appearing more like a legal expert trained in Osenfort.

”What else can be done? The evidence only supports trespassing.”

”We kill you here, then take away the scattered corpse and the girl, not bothering to clean the place, because the boss will tactfully deal with it.”

”Our whereabouts might be seen by many irrelevant people, but the security team can post the case results by tomorrow. Because we’ll line up early in the morning to confess. The whipping won’t hurt much, might not even leave a scar, because the executor was unwell but insisted on working, and everyone admired him for it.”

”We pay fines lavishly, we can afford it, don’t know why, but we, these thugs, just have money, quite a lot of it. After paying the fines, we still have enough to spend several carefree days at the House of Night.”

”Being imprisoned for a month isn’t hard either. Because there are always those stinky cells needing regular cleaning, right? Us bad guys need to go in, and first try out these cells cleaned by the guards. As for why the cells have comfy bedding and daily restaurant takeaway food, us prisoners wouldn’t know, just live there already.”

”Out afterwards, these fine lads will be welcomed for their aggressive stance and courage towards the Mutants. Women throwing themselves at them, smooth sailing at work, no one dares to say a ’no.’ Demon Hunters, despised by all, probably can’t expect to compare with them for a lifetime!”

”And you...”

Ubank gazed warmly at Lann.

”Only here can I see your face, damn, that’s great! What I said before was wrong, we won’t kill you, you’ll fetch a very high price!”

”Those kind-hearted old men definitely fancy your type, deep-set brows, noble silver hair... tsk tsk tsk, you’ll resist, but once we chop off your limbs, put a gag on your mouth, those old men will surely shell out more.”

Lann, hearing this, was not much moved.

The trend of admiring men has been prevalent across many eras, his face indeed attracts those nobles and wealthy merchants fancying such tastes.

”So, is this the outcome you’ve picked for me?”

Even at this point, Lann’s tone remained unchanged, which upset the men behind Ubank.

Comparing themselves to wolves, naturally, they wished the little white rabbit trembled before them, for their amusement.

Lann’s reaction clearly made them feel ashamed.

”You son of a bitch, Mutant! You...”

Saying that, the man moved towards Lann to pull his hood, but as he passed Ubank, the short stout man immediately stopped him.

He knew Lann’s skill, didn’t want more human shield near him at all.

While stopping the follower behind him, Ubank’s smile also slowly faded away.

The gentle tone before was to weaken Lann’s will of resistance, to minimize risk if possible.

On the other hand, for... a comfortable sense of security.

Since the last encounter with Lann at the camp in Velen, he confirmed this killer like a specter Demon Hunter, would chase him to the ends of the earth to chop off his head.

And now, he was about to solve this trouble.

But after a lot of talking, Lann’s calm tone kept eroding his sense of security.

How does he dare?

Is he really not afraid?

The weakening sense of security made Ubank’s mood worsen.

Then he sneered coldly.

”Oh, I forgot to mention, those kids you care about.”

As words left his mouth, Lann’s cat-like pupil suddenly contracted.

”You don’t know what we want with these kids, right? The Sun Sect in the south, high in power, wealthy beyond imagination.”

”Too bad! So many kindhearted old men, due to their doctrine, it’s hard for them to taste the pleasures of men.”

Ubank’s finger pointed southward, like a patient teacher lamenting certain historical regrets.

”The Niflgaard Empire is both a symbol of advance and enlightenment, and the Sun Sect is the pillar of faith for Niflgaard. To relieve these old men, many people rush to send things! But what could be more precious than pure young boys and handsome, beautiful men?”

”Those kids will live good lives... at least better in food and clothing than in Velen. Though occasionally, they might be patted or stroked by old hands full of gold rings, some may even become castratos.”

Thanks to the rich film culture of his home world, Lann could easily imagine a sufficiently disgusting image in his mind.

Old and fat clergy, pressing helpless, even afraid to resist young boys on a luxurious and soft bed...

”Ah, so... that’s how it is.”

Even calmly facing ten drawn Crossbow Arrows, Lann’s murmurs became somewhat intermittent.

”Slaves, bound with ribbons, packaged as ’gifts’... so that’s it.”

Ubank’s face, already looking uncomfortable, became even more so, and the followers behind him began to feel something was wrong.

It was a chilling sensation that made hair stand on end.

But as they sensed something wrong, their common sense clearly told them—In this world! No one! Can face ten Crossbows! At close range! Alone!

The conflict between instinct and common sense makes one’s mind uneasy.

All of Ubank’s brought men clenched their weapons instinctively, muscles tense in discomfort.

They stared blankly at Lann now distinctly different.

”I’ve always felt that to show anger before scum like you would be an insult to myself, you should die insignificantly like insects. But my view changed, Ubank...”

Voice growing from small to large, Lann removed his hood in front of the increasingly tense enemies.

The cat eyes under that hood...like a tiger biting down on prey’s throat!

”I will bring my fury, and slaughter you.”

”Boom!”