Bear School Astartes

Belengar said that if Lann intends to seal off the Trial of Grasses, he must personally go and see a group of people.

Lann didn’t know what this meant.

Could it be that those obsessed with his power have already formed a faction under a wave of fervor?

Has it developed this quickly?

However, Belengar, while riding Bopai to lead the way, spoke openly without hiding anything.

”If it’s just idle individuals, I think you wouldn’t care about their opinions. The key is this group isn’t...”

”Do you remember the group of Sintra Knights you fought alongside on Sodden Mountain?”

Belengar’s words made Lann immediately understand.

He recalled that battlefield, and the knights who followed him, charging and galloping.

The presence of Mentos made every scene in these memories vividly clear.

”Are they nearby?”

Lann asked with a slight frown.

”I initially thought of disbanding them after the war ended.”

”’Embers’ is a sorrowful name, not worth carrying on forever. People must look forward.”

Belengar gently squeezed Bopai’s sides, as the hooves clattered on the ground.

”Alright, alright, what use is there in telling me this?”

”Anyway, the result is: a Knight Order with only sixty men that no one dares to provoke, specially approved by Veltrest, is stationed around Gos Velen. Sir Viserad, the Governor of Velen, wouldn’t dare to utter a word, and even has to send supplies from time to time.”

”Now it seems this group isn’t exactly following your orders.”

Lann’s mouth twitched.

Mentos helpfully reminded him of more content.

Though the ’Embers’ overall revered him like a god the moment this force was formed,

these knights are quite different from typical fanatics... They have their own thoughts.

For instance, many times when Lann asks them to relax a bit, such words are completely ignored by them.

It’s like the leader of your army suddenly became invisible, yet these knights continue training on their own.

Lann himself doesn’t believe in gods, so facing these knights who hold fervent feelings towards him, yet defy his orders at times,

he couldn’t tell whether this defiance made him happy or displeased.

And now, evidently, this group of people isn’t taking him seriously again.

Lann helplessly scratched his head.

After not walking for long, Belengar led Lann onto another road outside the city.

As they gradually distanced from the walls of Gos Velen, they had entered the wild and dangerous wilderness of Velen.

The swamp beneath the grass, the black and foul sludge... These familiar things seemed unchanged.

”Are you using your Demon Hunter senses?”

Lann asked while walking, his eyes adjusting with their constricted vertical pupils.

”Yes, have to follow the traces.”

Belengar controlled Bopai with the reins, bypassing a seemingly normal patch of grass, which was actually a swamp.

”This Knight Order also became part of the legend. Youngsters high on adrenaline, warriors seeking a future, mercenaries... Many want to join.”

”In reality, during their journey from the Sodden Region to Temeria, there were quite a few such people.”

”But they claim without your approval, they won’t expand. Hence, they refused many. To avoid entanglements, they started moving into the wilderness two months ago, only maintaining contact with official channels. But for us...”

Belengar turned on horseback, gesturing with two fingers towards Lann’s eyes, smiling.

The traces of large troop movements are always clear in a Demon Hunter’s eyes.

Soon, amidst the renewed human shouts, a simple encampment appeared before the two Demon Hunters and the small cat.

The Velen Region is not short of timber, hence many logs as thick as human heads are tied in rows, their tops sharpened into a fence.

The camp is set up strategically, choosing the highest terrain nearby, preventing anyone from peeking in from outside.

Two soldiers stand at a wooden guard post, equipped with crossbows, complementing the melee-equipped soldiers at the gate below.

As Belengar approached, Lann was still walking behind.

The soldier on duty stepped forward, swiftly issuing a warning before the old Demon Hunter got too close.

”Please halt, this is a military encampment.”

The old Demon Hunter complied smoothly, smiling as he stopped Bopai.

”Of course, of course. I wouldn’t mess with you guys.”

Soon, from the bushes behind him, came the sound of a large-bodied creature pushing through the brush.

The soldiers on duty, without any communication, swiftly readied themselves within two seconds.

On the watchtower, one soldier raised his crossbow, while another moved towards the alarm bell.

When Lann emerged from the bushes, they were initially stunned, but it took only a few seconds for a special crossbow arrow to fly towards Lann’s feet.

Lann tilted his head to look, seeing the Demon-Blocking Golden Arrowhead.

”My, my lord?”

The soldier who had ordered Belengar to stop first reacted, his mouth tight, blinking reddened eyes as he approached Lann.

”Please forgive us, my lord. We must ensure no deceitful individuals have concealed you with illusions... The current atmosphere is sensitive.”

Lann could hear a hint of choke in the soldier’s voice.

”Sorry, my lord. We lost track of you at the time!”

The crossbowman on the watchtower seemed to confirm, immediately shouting inside, causing the camp, once filled with uniform sounds of drill, to become noisy.

But this noise was not a reflection of disorder; rather, it was the sound of too many people moving uniformly, their armor pieces clattering against one another.

Lann, who initially felt a bit peeved with them, couldn’t find any anger when he heard the choked report from the soldier.

”Back then, it was an accident on the battlefield; who can fathom Chaos Magic Power?”

Lann patted the soldier’s shoulder.

The camp gates opened, and Lincoln was the first to rush out.

This young lad, always pretending to be calm, had matured some in the few months they hadn’t met.

He still adhered to that familiar caution which Lann recognized.

Those eyes first glanced quickly at the crossbow arrow on the ground beside them, confirming it as the genuine Demon-Blocking Golden Arrowhead, before suppressing his excitement as he walked closer.

”My lord...”

”You’re acting as if I abandoned you all.”

Lann raised an eyebrow before Lincoln could speak, cutting him off.

Familiar voice, familiar feeling.

Though they hadn’t met for months, Lincoln and the others felt like they’d been lost like a kite with a broken string.

Until Lann reappeared before them, the feeling of emptiness slowly dissipated.