Bear School Astartes

”Phew~”

Lann let out a long breath. His strength was gradually returning, and his body temperature was falling back into the normal range.

The difficulty of saving lives is not the same as taking them.

Lann confirmed this point once again.

The operation to break through the blockade could actually be considered a success, after all, more than eight hundred people survived.

Surely, some people had to die, it was just a matter of how many.

So many people took this as a comfort to themselves: people have to die, but I didn’t. That was lucky.

And so they could happily rush towards a new life.

But there was still a large group, those who were organized into the front phalanx, truly facing the Niflgaard people.

For the first time in their lives, they set foot on a battlefield, facing the enemy’s blades and bloodshed.

Although they survived, most of them had vacant expressions, stiff movements, unable to speak.

A small number, who seemed not to have collapsed, were crying bitterly. Crying for escaping death, crying for their own wounds... and others were crying while cursing with resentment.

Ged hung his head, unable to lift it, his strong body occasionally shaking.

Because some were cursing him, cursing why he hadn’t protected everyone like he used to, why he brought them into the battlefield when they were supposed to be protected.

Lann was already holding back his anger; when he heard such absurd words, he immediately wanted to teach the person a lesson.

But when he saw that person exhausted, near collapse, and with a crossbow arrow still lodged in his shoulder, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Perhaps he was only a farmer, a fisherman from the countryside of Sintra. The most lethal things he ever handled might have been pitchforks, sickles, and fishing hooks.

And the enemy he just faced?

Those were the Niflgaardians who had swept away all the regular troops of Sintra.

The few hundreds cobbled together from a temporary encampment came up with bows and crossbows that could even fire a rain of arrows! Among them were also alchemy arrows, explosive arrows, split arrows, flame arrows, and the like.

For someone like him to be able to speak at all after facing such a scene, without being mute... was already considered to have strong mental resilience.

This time it was Ged who held onto Lann’s arm, silently shook his head, and walked away together with him.

”Thank you, if you had hit him just now, I know I couldn’t have stopped you.”

Ged had also seen with his own eyes how Lann dealt with the Niflgaard people, this awareness he still had.

And Lann waved his hand: ”I couldn’t do it anyway... you saw that guy’s state, didn’t you?”

After saying this, Lann was silent for a moment, then turned his head slightly and spat on the ground.

”Tch. I always knew that doing good things meant having people pointing knives at you. At the time I thought, if I did good deeds and someone dared to treat me like this, I would certainly not be polite. But I didn’t expect that when I really encountered this day...”

”I actually didn’t know whether I should be angry or pitiful.”

Ged also shook his head.

He had been with this group of refugees for a longer time, had helped more refugees, and had previously received gratitude from many refugees.

But precisely because of this, the refugees relied more on him, had more expectations for him. He also cared more about these pitiful people, and as a result, was hurt more deeply.

And his experience ultimately was greater than Lann’s, and now it was he who was comforting the young Demon Hunter.

”Let go of it, just one day left. In a day’s time, we’ll be able to walk out of Sintra, and at least we can answer to ourselves.”

Meanwhile, on the other side, Hacksaw was also giving an inspiring speech to the refugees who survived the disaster.

In addition to the news that they were only one day from reaching the national border, he also revealed a piece of good news.

”Sodden!”

The former Royal Steward used his thick and well-trained voice to loudly announce this place.

That solemn and dignified tone was like announcing the presence of royalty and nobility entering the court.

”In Sodden! Everyone!”

”All the noble lords of the Northern Countries! They have already seen the threat of the Niflgaardian black dogs, and have deployed forces to Sodden!”

”There, justice and evil! The Northern People and the Niflgaardians will commence the battle!”

Hacksaw passionately waved the heavy steel scepter in his hand, as if a Niflgaardian stood in front of him and he was about to crush his skull.

Hacksaw stood on a small stone platform, with Stuart beneath him.

The eighteen-year-old knight did not follow his father’s emotions, instead simply lowering his head and fondling the pommel’s balance on his sword hilt.

”Watch, everyone! When you cross the border, you will gain not only safety and freedom! You will also witness firsthand the crushing defeat of the Niflgaardians!”

The passing refugees below cheered in response.

It wasn’t clear if it was because they were excited to hear the news of approaching the border or because of the news of the Battle of Sodden.

Wave after wave of refugees moved away, and Hacksaw on the stone platform continued to spread the message.

As if he wouldn’t stop until he told every refugee the news.

When the sun dipped low into darkness, the refugees finally reluctantly stopped to set up camp and rest.

Although it was only a day’s journey, traveling at night was after all a life-threatening matter.

Still, this night, there were hardly any people gathering near the Demon Hunter’s tent.

They uttered low whispers like mosquitoes and flies from afar, imagining life after reaching safety.

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

Meanwhile, at the Niflgaard temporary encampment that had failed to block them, the atmosphere didn’t feel like that of defeat.

Because outside the temporary encampment that should have been sparsely populated due to heavy casualties, there was now the dense and uneasy sound of horses’ hooves.

A horse’s hooves trotting on the ground wouldn’t make too much noise.

But if the number were... a thousand?!

Under the cover of darkness, the temporary encampment was maintained at an illuminating expense.

Outside the encampment, a large number of knights, each with two horses, were gathered together, their armor, and the armor on their warhorses, gleamed with a glossy finish under the firelight.

Silent, oppressive, full of killing aura.

And behind the cavalry unit, there was a total of two thousand five hundred infantry and archer units.

The cavalry unit alone, in terms of military strength, was equivalent to the total armed force of many small Northern countries.

And now, such a ferocious unit, sufficient to play a decisive role in a large-scale battle, was all gathered outside this small temporary encampment.

”These soldiers can only stay here for at most two days, they have other orders. And you just used up a precious Magic Communication Talisman.”

Inside the temporary encampment, Duke Adal Epp Dasrcy, in full armor, played with a dagger at his fingertips, his eerie gaze set on Darkley.

”So, the information you give me better be worth this kind of spectacle.”

And Darkley wore a confident smile on his face.