Bear School Astartes

”Ah! My friend.”

The red-bearded dwarf walked towards Lann with a worried expression, tilting his head to shake his hand.

”Hello, Shilton.”

After Lann greeted the dwarf, the two sat down on the chairs in the meeting room.

”Did you know I was back?”

After they settled in, Lann smiled and asked the dwarf.

”Of course, you don’t need to be too sensitive, Lann.”

Shilton Giancardi nodded without any hesitance.

Being a dwarf with a background in banking and finance, he easily grasped the undertones of the Demon Hunter and provided an explanation.

”None of your Northern Kingdom or Southern Empire spies can buy us off. We have a lot of business dealings between us, and I’m working for you guys. So I’m also among those allowed to know your whereabouts by Lady Margarita.”

Shilton spoke outright, stating his trustworthiness.

Lann nodded and accepted the explanation.

”So why come to me at this time? The messenger said it was about something with the Valerian Steel Merchants Association. Is there a problem with the association?”

”Well, the association is definitely affected by the war.”

Shilton tugged on his slightly tight collar and said.

”We are in the steel business, and the superior performance of Valyrian Steel surely attracts the military of various countries. Not to mention the northern regions where transportation and circulation are most convenient. Even in the southern armies in this recent battle, there are definitely Valyrian Steel weapons we’ve sold.”

”That’s something you don’t even need to think about. We are into large-scale trading of steel. If we can’t even accept this, we might as well open a small workshop and earn a retirement fund. If you want to do big business, you have to accept the impact that comes with it.”

Recently, people from Veltrest, Redania, Yaden, Codwin... anyway, from the Northern Kingdoms, have come with various royal badges and noble seals to the association. They demand to increase shipment volumes, lower unit prices, and cut off trade with Niflgaard.”

Lann frowned upon hearing this.

”These demands sound quite harsh.”

”Who says they aren’t?”

Shilton also let out a cold laugh.

”Yes, you have Airetusa Academy and Belengar. The shareholders of the association are all Northern people. And we dwarves have no fond feelings toward the Southern Empire either. Helping is fine, but there needs to be a system for helping. Otherwise, if we accept the conditions proposed by these Northern Kingdoms, we’ll just be opening ourselves up to the next wave of more outrageous demands.”

”To be frank, of course, we want to help the Northern Kingdoms. But we also have to guard against those officials and nobles who might see money and want to swallow us whole.”

Lann found it easy to understand this concept.

Just like after Emperor Chongzhen died, the wealth in the capital’s rich households and major officials still surpassed the national treasury.

Those greedy scum don’t care about the situation or the country; they just want to grab as much as they can, regardless of the consequences.

”You handle these matters; I think you should have enough experience.”

Lann entrusted the direction of the association’s actions to Shilton.

”Then just wait and see.”

The red-bearded dwarf agreed without hesitation.

”I’ve already drafted an intention agreement with the four major kingdoms: reduce shipments to Niflgaard in batches until the end of the war or shipment volume reaches zero. Meanwhile, the four major kingdoms will provide the association with convenience in tariffs and transportation as compensation and encouragement.”

It seems Shilton had a plan long beforehand, so he spoke naturally and confidently.

However, after discussing the association’s course of action in this war, he promptly shifted the topic.

”That’s about it for the association. What’s left is a personal matter... Belengar has something to discuss with you.”

Lann frowned.

”Why doesn’t he come directly if he has something to say?”

Shilton shrugged, with an expression of ’How should I know?’

The Demon Hunter could only nod helplessly, indicating that he would visit him later.

When leaving, the red-bearded dwarf even took two charms, indicating that his mindset wasn’t tense and was calmly in control.

The fact that Shilton still indulged in petty gains made Lann feel slightly reassured.

He couldn’t help but laugh at his mindset.

-----------------

The clanging of iron seemed to have become the unchanging tone of this iron forge workshop.

It is said that this workshop, which produces Valyrian Steel, operates around the clock.

The residents nearby had long been troubled, and at one point even brought a protest about the noise affecting their lives to the Gos Velen town hall.

But the town hall doesn’t care about that; this single workshop alone can bring a huge amount of tax revenue to the city every day.

What are resident protests compared to real money?

However, most of the unskilled laborers in the workshop, for convenience, were hired from the nearby residents. So, money-wise, these surrounding residents are actually earning quite a bit.

”So you called me over, saying there was something to discuss, and the result is you’re having me watch you forge iron?”

In this noisy and hot large workshop, Lann sat on one side, watching Belengar strike the glowing red Valyrian Steel in front of him.

Where he sat, there were quite a few pieces of armor and armor components forged, so no one noticed his unusually large frame.

Belengar’s mind was very conflicted.

In the past, as a master blacksmith among Demon Hunters, the sound of his hammer striking iron was crisp, melodic, and rhythmic.

But today, it was just a series of irregular noise, not different from other less skilled blacksmiths in the workshop.

Lann noticed this and used a teasing manner to get him to speak.

As a result, Belengar stopped his work, removed his leather apron, leaving his bare, shiny upper body, and walked over to Lann.

After looking at the young man for a while, the Old Demon Hunter hesitated to speak.

”You’re... planning to go to the battlefield? To Sintra?”

Lann raised an eyebrow, but didn’t avoid the topic.

”Yes, I do need to make a trip there.”

”I’m unsure what the style of Niflgaard’s army is or what their strategy is. But there’s a little one I have a good relationship with out there, and I need to help her escape the war somehow.”

He thought Belengar would advise him against it, but unexpectedly, the Old Demon Hunter seemed relieved instead.

”This is your decision to go; it’s not like I pushed you into it.”

He muttered, pulling a pipe from his pocket and sitting beside Lann. He lit his pipe with the glowing Valyrian Steel and took a puff.

”You once wrote a few letters to a Wolf School apprentice, right?”

Without turning his head, Belengar asked.

”About that apprentice’s Child of Destiny, a child in Sintra?”