Bear School Astartes

”This one, yes.”

The giant’s enormous finger tapped on the blade of [Muddy Stream·Destruction].

A dull ’clang clang’ sound rang out.

”This one, the craftsmanship is the roughest. The material is also the strangest.”

”This one.” The enormous finger shifted direction, pointing at the Lady of the Lake’s Sword.

”The craftsman’s skill is about on par with mine. But the approach is very different.”

Lann’s curious eyes darted back and forth between the two vastly different swords.

Though the giant’s expression was limited, Lann’s understanding was strong enough. He could still grasp the Giant Blacksmith’s meaning.

The Lady of the Lake’s Sword was a divine weapon, forged by the Lady of the Lake. The giant before him, however, was the blacksmith for this world’s Divine Beings, serving the Divine Race since the Mythical Era.

Perhaps even earlier, creating divine weapons during the Ancient Dragon War could have been his craft.

The skill gap between them could be minuscule, so much so that the Giant Blacksmith feared using his technique might make this weapon worse than leaving it untouched.

But the greatsword next to it was forged by Belengar with a core of Valerian steel, later enhanced by adding the Extinct Dragon’s material in the hands of the New Continent’s phase two group’s leader.

Though both of their crafts were the pinnacle of their industry, compared to the skill of the Divine Beings...

There’s considerable room for improvement.

With a ’clang’, Lann sheathed the Lady of the Lake’s Sword into his belt with one hand.

He placed [Muddy Stream·Destruction] on the anvil before the giant.

The wedge-shaped stone and wedge-shaped stone slab were also handed to the giant.

”With the wedge stone slab, I can enhance it to be very powerful.”

Like counting pebbles in his palm, the giant’s finger moved around the materials, then he tilted his head and asked Lann.

”Use it all?”

”I likely don’t have anything else deserving of such materials on me.”

Lann said while pinching his chin with one hand.

”Understood.”

Then came a series of clanging and clinking iron sounds once more.

The palm-sized wedge-shaped stone, along with the monument-sized wedge stone round plate, vanished in a blink.

Yet when the Giant Blacksmith handed the greatsword back to Lann, its size and weight remained unchanged.

Making one wonder where all the volume of these materials disappeared to.

But in this anomalous world, perhaps this state is considered normal.

The enhanced [Muddy Stream·Destruction] showed no change in appearance.

However, when Lann grasped it, a brutal, raging surge vastly surpassing before, almost becoming an illusion, immediately surged from the hilt to his heart.

The iris in the Demon Hunter’s eyes contracted sharply into a line.

This presence is much stronger than before!

Prior, due to the Extinct Dragon material, the essence of the creature imparted some of the Extinct Dragon’s aura to the sword, yet it was nowhere as prominent as now!

If before, an ordinary person would have had to stand close, almost against the sword, to feel its ferocity, then now...

”If I leave this sword in the house, will no one dare to enter?”

Lann’s hand moved along the hilt, stroking the broad blade.

The pleasant sound of leather gloves rubbing against steel filled the air.

His iris pupils returned to normal.

After all, he personally chopped down the materials from the Extinct Dragon; how could the sword crafted from these materials scare him?

The Giant Blacksmith tilted his head: ”Maybe, insects, mice, wild dogs, won’t want to go in.”

Alright.

Lann shook his head with a smile.

Seems it’s as the Niflgaard people’s rumor says, becoming a ’Demon Sword’.

”Thank you.”

Lann placed the greatsword back into the Alchemy Pouch, waving to the giant behind the anvil.

The giant slowly nodded in response.

Having accepted the Giant Blacksmith’s gratitude, Lann is now preparing to leave Ilyushil.

Before leaving, he went to see Gwendolin.

The product of the dragonification experiment poisoned him, and things from someone like Ausloes, even the Divine Race cannot withstand.

Therefore, even though Gwendolin is relieved from the oppression of battle, he still shows no sign of recovery.

It seems he can only wait for Rosalie to arrive at the Cold Valley, to heal him with her warm, sunshine-like powerful miracles.

”Are you... leaving?”

Gwendolin lay slanted on a red velvet couch in the mansion, weakly greeting the Demon Hunter. You’Er Xia sat with her legs together, obediently by her brother’s side.

It was the first time Lann entered this mansion; previous times were too tight for him to take a look inside.

The floor was a marble surface polished to serve as a mirror, stepping on it produced a crisp collision sound.

The walls were adorned with many old story paintings, though for Gwendolin, residing here, these were ’memories’ rather than ’legends’.

”Yes, I came here to defeat Elderidge, now even his faggots are in your hands, my goal is fulfilled.”

”Also, I wish to return home. After all, with the flame dwindling, the world is treacherous.”

As Lann spoke, he pressed the Roaring Bear Head Pendant on his chest.

The Demon Hunter’s pendant has already sensed the arrival of the Chaos Magic Power tide.

”Honorable one... what you said is true.”

Gwendolin pursed his lips and reluctantly agreed with Lann, but noticed that the Demon Hunter’s gaze went past him to the wall behind.

Gwendolin remembered that on the wall was a painting of his sister, the ”Sunshine Princess” Gwen Aveya in a reclining pose.

The full, gentle, and loving image, has always been adored by all beings.

”That is a portrait of my elder sister, the Sunshine Princess. She is also the true form of Rosalie whom you serve.”

Gwendolin explained to Lann, but for some unknown reason, he added a final remark.

”This painting may show no abnormalities, but let it be known: my elder sister, her size is not much different from my eldest brother. Truly a great and mighty member of the Divine Race.”

There was no point of reference in the painting, but the Nameless King, despite training diligently for thousands of years and becoming as gaunt as black steel, was still a strong figure towering four or five meters high.

The Divine Race refers to humans as ’dwarves,’ indeed using their own stature as a reference scale.

Lann wasn’t sure why this was being explained to him, and in fact, he wasn’t really a Goddess Knight serving Rosalie.

But with his imminent departure, Lann had no intention of correcting it carefully.

He merely gave a slight bow to the Shadow Sun, weakly lying on the long bench, in salute.

And Gwendolin, after a moment of silence, strugglingly removed the Dark Moon Crown from his head, exposing his whole face and looking directly at the Demon Hunter... Lann increasingly felt this was actually a goddess.

”Must you leave?”

Without waiting for Lann’s response, Gwendolin shook his head and sighed to himself.

”Ilyushil has fallen into such ruin in my hands that indeed there’s no reason for nostalgia. I only wish you... a safe journey in this world’s decline and anarchy.”

He tremulously extended his slender hand, mutated into a claw, seemingly wanting Lann to take it.

The Demon Hunter did not hesitate, thinking this was a farewell rite of Ilyushil.

Lann stepped forward, bent down, and took Gwendolin’s hand.

But Gwendolin quickly withdrew his hand, turning his face aside.

Meanwhile, sitting by the side, You’Er Xia, legs neatly together, gracefully leaned slightly forward.

It was a gesture representing farewell.

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

”Neigh!”

’Hope when we return to the Profound Church, nothing goes wrong there again.’

Lann and Rong Buqiu rode on the back of the Qilin, the rocky path unsuitable for human passage posed no difficulty to the Qilin, and it could even easily make a quip.

Then Lann slapped the side of the Qilin’s long neck with a resounding ”whap.”

This slap could kill a person, but to an Ancient Dragon of the New Continent, it was a bit of friendly roughhousing.

Similar to how two Thunder Wolf Dragons might smack each other for fun.

After smacking it, Lann crazily shook the Qilin’s mouth, causing the mane on its neck to flutter.

”You better shut up! Wish for some good!”

Rong Buqiu also pounced on top of the Qilin’s head, meowing with its mouth open, grabbing and shaking the Qilin’s grey horn.

Knowing it had misspoken, the Qilin immediately shut its mouth.

The road back to the Profound Church from Ilyushil was uneventful, which somewhat relieved Lann, who had experienced much in this world.

Skirting around the many spirits lurking at the entrance of the Profound Church, Lann entered the vast and deep church once more.

All was as usual, without chaos, without slaughter.

”Look at you.”

Leonard’s voice came from the second-floor balcony of the church, echoing within the spacious interior.

He stood on the edge of the balcony, looking down at Lann’s party just entering.

Of course, his tone, as usual, carried a natural mocking air.

”Did you honestly think the followers of Rosalie would be as disloyal as Shalivan?”

”No, that’s not the case.”

Of course, Lann wouldn’t admit it, leading the Qilin and Rong Buqiu, getting lifted to the second floor by the raised giant gate, he said to Leonard.

Lann spread his hands, a smile playing on his face.

Faced with such a demeanor and visage, few could harbor hostility.

Though Leonard didn’t know why he disliked him, he found it hard to hurl insults in this situation.

So, under his silver mask, he just smacked his lips with a ’tsk,’ turning to lead Lann towards Rosalie’s chamber.

”This time, I am here to bid farewell to the goddess.”

”Farewell?” Leonard turned back in surprise while leading the way, ”With the current situation, where can you possibly go?”

”I too have a place I must return to.”

Lann displayed an attitude of not wanting to say much, and Leonard, initially surprised, soon appeared unconcerned.

”Ha, suit yourself. Just don’t end up surrounded by spirits, you can draw a symbol to summon me then.”

”Oh, thanks for the reminder. Otherwise, I’d have forgotten I could do that.”

Leonard appeared caught between helplessness and speechlessness, only being able to adjust the silver mask on his face.

”...You truly are irritating, Lann.”

”Am I? You’re the first to say something like that. Don’t worry, I won’t take it to heart.”