Bear School Astartes

The vanguard scouting team was used as a target, but who was meant to be attracted to attack it?

Looking at the low silhouettes in the team, the answer was obvious.

Lann glanced sideways at Zoltan.

”You should know this too, right?”

”Yeah.” The dwarf with a face full of scars responded gruffly, ”I’m not stupid, what’s there not to understand? But we followed Yalpan out here because we’d already considered it carefully.”

”I’m Zoltan Ziva! Since we’ve made the decision, there’s nothing to complain about. Just keep working.”

”Hey, are you a dwarf from the Ziva Clan?”

Speaking of Zoltan’s surname, Lann raised an eyebrow, recalling past experiences.

Back when he was looking for the Grandmaster level Bear School equipment blueprints, he went to the Southern Amel Mountains and helped a clan of reclusive dwarves solve a problem.

”Lence Ziva.” Lann turned to Zoltan and said, ”Does this name sound familiar to you?”

”Huh?” The dwarf holding the reins turned his head in surprise, ”That’s the Great Elder of my clan! How do you know him? Ever since I moved to Mahakan, I haven’t heard his name in decades.”

”I once went to the Amel Mountains and helped the dwarves at Hein Castle there!”

Lann spoke familiarly.

He remembered the dwarves who admired the Demon Hunter due to Regis’ spectacular and tragic ’death.’

”Haha!” After matching information again, Zoltan’s short legs happily swung on the driver’s seat, ”Hearing news from home in this wretched situation is truly comforting for me.”

The convoy proceeded along the Mahakan mountain wall by the Ponta River, heading towards the Ponta River Valley.

The primary target of this convoy was to reach the Floating Harbour.

That was a trade town set up by Temeria in the Ponta River Valley.

The importance of the Ponta River Valley’s location needs no explanation, and it’s long enough that even the lightest boats navigating the fastest currents need a full day to barely traverse it.

Though Temeria lost the battle for the most important military stronghold in the valley—Haji Fortress—decades ago to Yaden.

From the segment after Haji Fortress, the river belongs to Yaden’s territory.

However, Temeria couldn’t just neglect the position of the Ponta River Valley, so within its borders, Veltrest established a nascent trade town utilizing water transport.

Though the sudden mutation seemed to be spreading to cast a shadow over the entire valley, Temeria must prioritize the interests within its territory.

”But this strategy is too passive.”

His body jolted with the carriage wheels crushing the rocky road, Lann muttered softly.

In this scouting team mixed with many non-human races, Sachia was having an animated conversation with Yalpan.

It seemed the dwarf’s straightforwardness and direct nature, combined with years of experience, made Sachia feel they were compatible. Intermittent bursts of laughter echoed between them.

Slightly easing the originally oppressive atmosphere.

The Clifford raiders continued to keenly scan every blade of grass and tree ahead, while starting to discuss possible situations and tactics with the dwarf team, intending to achieve simple cooperation in emergencies.

Besides these people, some mercenaries with half-elf lineage were also incorporated into this scouting team.

They weren’t familiar with anyone else, so they occasionally interjected comments while hurrying along. Otherwise, they remained silent.

An outcast is more hateful than a heretic... If one thinks in this way, then without a doubt, the Squirrel Faction, if they moved, would certainly target this vanguard scouting team right away.

After all, in their view, these people were traitors of their race.

”What did you just say? Moved by what?”

Zoltan was currently handling the reins with one hand, holding a jug with his elbow, while trying to pull out the cork to take a sip with the other.

”No, nothing.” Lann shook his head, reaching out to give him a hand.

”Ah, thanks.” Zoltan wiped the remaining droplets from his beard, speaking naturally and forgetting the earlier conversation.

”No need to thank me.” Lann spoke, quietly reaching his hand towards the alchemy pouch at his waist.

He accurately grasped the cone-shaped crystal inside, and the Roaring Bear Head Pendant on his neck slightly quivered, then quickly returned to calm.

Within two minutes, a mounted attendant came from the back of the convoy.

He leaned forward among the scouting team for a while, noticing there were surprisingly three or four people wearing magic cloaks.

So he controlled the horse to slow down and shouted: ”Royal Advisor Lady Triss Merigold is looking for someone, the one from last night, who is it? Raise your hand.”

At the front position in the team, sitting next to Zoltan, Lann raised his hand.

Instantly, all eyes were on him.

Because there were quite a few people in the way and it was difficult to pass through, the attendant simply shouted across to Lann: ”Wait for the lady after you get off, got it?”

It was only after Lann nodded that the attendant returned to the back of the formation to report.

Then Lann greeted Zoltan, who was in the same carriage, and prepared to stand up.

The dwarf with short, rooster-style hair gaped, sizing up the travel companion he had shared the ride with, especially lingering on the lower body, and gazed with a mixture of reverence.

”What’s going on?” Meanwhile, beside the carriage, Sachia rode over and asked softly, ”Is this some kind of trouble?”

”This is no trouble!” Yalpan from the rear carriage laughed loudly, ”My goodness, what enchanting brew did you give that female warlock?”

”They say female warlocks have insatiable desires and can exhaust several men at once, but you’ve kept her captivated?”

”You only just came out from her large tent this morning, and now she can’t resist again... tsk tsk tsk.”

The strange sense of rivalry and respect among men left Sachia baffled.

Even Clifford the plunderer beside him wore the same expression.

”That’s all just legend, Yalpan.” Lann gracefully jumped down from the carriage next to Zoltan, ”You’re an old hand, don’t always use legends to fool others.”

”Whatever the case!” The moving convoy passed by the stationary Lann, and Yalpan smoothed his side-part Mohican hairstyle, wearing a knowing smile of the men, slightly bowed from the driver’s seat towards Lann.

”Enjoy yourself.”

In response, Lann reached out and patted the rump of the horse Yalpan was driving. The sudden acceleration made Yalpan curse out loud and pull the reins to calm it down.

The convoy continued forward, leaving the immobile Lann naturally falling behind.

Finally, after enduring the contemptuous and disdainful glances from the White Rose Knight Order, a light hoofbeat approached.

Triss was seated on a gentle mare, her body moving up and down so much that the soldiers in the convoy couldn’t help but look her way.

”How did you stay among those White Rose Knights for so long?”

The long convoy continued rolling forward, the sound of wheels allowing their conversation not to be too cautious.

Lann shrugged: ”Their looks... they’d stab me in the back as soon as you turn around, I’d believe it.”

The smiling red-haired female mage seemed quite indifferent.

”If I cared about others’ opinions, I wouldn’t be a female warlock, dear.”

”Dressed from head to toe, head covered, washing clothes, cooking, and then getting slapped black and blue by the husband at home... but do you see me as that kind of person?”

Speaking, the female warlock mischievously pulled up the slit of her skirt on the side facing Lann on horseback, revealing her round, fair thighs.

The demon hunter shook his head with a light chuckle: ”Of course not, you’re ’Fearless Merigold’.”

Immediately, the demon hunter restrained the smile between lovers, showing seriousness in conducting business.

Thus, Triss too shifted her mindset from flirting to work.

”Seward and those White Roses want to use the vanguard as a target; technically it’s fine. But they won’t even equip shields or provide the arrow blocks on the carriage, this is purely reckless.”

Lann said in a deep voice.

In military tactics, setting up bait and targets is very normal, no one can complain.

But the distinction between ’setting a bait’ and ’abandoning troops’ lies in whether the bait troops are given appropriate gear and supplies, if there’s a subsequent support plan, and the necessity of executing this tactic.

There’s no doubt, Seward is using the vanguard as consumables.

”I can allocate some gear to them, though Seward and White Rose would love to exile me, I still represent the Temerian Royal Family’s magical support, so it’s not difficult.”

Triss’s mare trotted slowly.

”But surely you’re not talking to me via crystal just for these matters?”

”Indeed.” Lann nodded in agreement, ”Seward’s intention to lead the team to the floating harbor already indicates the problem.”

”If the goal was dealing with monsters, or some magical anomaly, then investigation is the right approach. Instead of first reinforcing some place... he honestly thinks the issue is just the Squirrel Faction causing trouble.”

After lamenting this self-deceptive fool, Lann decisively signaled to Triss with a nod.

”Can you sense those abnormal chaos magic powers now? Let’s go directly and check.”

”Hearsay is never as accurate as actual investigation.”

”Certainly no problem, the influence range of that thing, the traces left... they’re very terrifying. I can sense it.”

Triss spoke earnestly and solemnly at first, but immediately afterward, a teasing smile appeared on her face.

”But a greedy female warlock disappearing with a man in the convoy... that saying is quite suggestive. Isn’t it?”