Bear School Astartes

Tishaya, along with the Dean of Ban Aide—Henry Gemitis, are the most powerful and oldest male and female Warlocks currently alive among humans.

Among them, Gemitis is even a generation higher than Tishaya.

Last time, when performing heart surgery on the oldest human Warlock, Lann had already had a simple yet profound conversation with him.

Tishaya and Gemitis belong to the relatively ’old-school’ faction among Warlocks. They hope that Warlocks can still continue to expand and pass on Magic.

The Old Wizard told the young Demon Hunter that they do not shy away from enjoying pleasures like today’s young Wizards.

Although these ’young’ Wizards are mostly over a hundred or two hundred years old.

However, they do not agree with the current trend among Wizards, or rather, in the past two hundred years, of Wizards losing themselves in the pursuit of power.

Wizards can be obsessed with money because it relates to material circulation, experiments, and alchemy.

They can also be obsessed with fame because it can motivate personal progress.

But being obsessed with the rights among Kingdoms...

This means that those Wizards have prioritized their ’politician’ characteristics over their roles as ’Casters, Transcendents, Longevous beings,’ etc.

They will pledge loyalty to the givers of power.

Even if this destroys the transcendental and outlandish status that Warlocks have maintained all this time.

When the bottom line is breached and benefits are gained, when power-hungry Warlocks reap more than those who earnestly research and develop Magic, then the trend is corrupted.

And what Tishaya and Gemitis hope the Warlocks would ’truly be doing,’ would also become disregarded in such an environment.

And right now, needless to say, even if Tishaya rejects it, the Warlock community has arrived at a critical moment they cannot ignore.

In the increasingly sharp situation between the North and the South, where could a group of high-and-mighty ’neutral factions’ truly fit?

Although Tishaya has just initiated, Lann, with his political sensitivity, already has a general understanding of the theme of this Warlock meeting.

”Before the situation becomes so tense that it entirely snaps, we must first unify our thoughts internally.”

Indeed.

The words that follow from Tishaya are completely within Lann’s expectations.

”If the Warlocks cannot reach internal consensus, then in future sharper conflicts, we might face internal slaughter on the battlefield.”

”I thought...” Lann savored the taste of East of East on his tongue, ”The Battle of Sodden Mountain was already considered a stance.”

”The Southern Niflgaard Empire won’t, like the North, tolerate Warlocks, this unique small class, maintaining their uniqueness within their domain.”

The Demon Hunter sneered sarcastically.

”I thought those Southern Wizard apprentices who were filled in the battle line during the Battle of Sodden Mountain were enough to prove the point—In the Southern Empire, Warlocks are no different from Blacksmiths.”

”Yet now, in the Northern Warlock community, there are still fools who think ’yield a little and everything will pass, nothing will change’?”

Lady Margarita’s smile also faded: ”You see them as fools, but standing from their own perspective, perhaps they think they are wise?”

The blonde beauty seemed intrigued by this issue, shaking her wine glass.

Toussaint’s national treasure-level East of East red wine showcased excellent glass holdings on the wine glass.

”Recently, even as someone who is tied down by Academy affairs and reclusive, as the Dean of Airetusa, I’ve heard quite a bit of talk.”

Lady Margarita’s face held an inscrutable smile.

”People say the Niflgaard Empire isn’t too bad. Didn’t know before, but now with nearing borders, everyone exchanges more.”

”Merchants discuss the advanced business systems and rights of merchant guilds. Artisans mention that in the Niflgaard territory, doing the same work earns them several times the money than in the North.”

”Mages are human too, needing to eat, wear, and use items of the best quality. When everyone around you talks about Niflgaard in this manner, it’s hard not to be influenced.”

”So.” Lann smiled, but his gaze suddenly turned cold. ”Are those who were ravaged by war, even not mentioning soldiers on the battlefield, but civilians, all irrelevant?”

”Of course they matter.” Tishaya supplemented, ”People say it’s the tension resulting from the first time people from two lands are so close, their unfamiliarity leading to emotional tension, and the consequences after being stimulated.”

”People sincerely feel sorrow over this but cannot thereby say the Niflgaard Empire is cruel and unjust. That’s too one-sided, as it might just be a sporadic event.”

”Wow, a sporadic event of massacring Sintra City along with its surroundings clean.” Lann’s face was expressionless, yet his tone exaggeratedly sarcastic.

”Additionally, most laborers within Sintra Kingdom were bought by slave merchant guilds, and the mills, windmills, fireplaces... even bellows of the land were plundered back to Niflgaard—some sporadic event.”

”The Niflgaard army surely are geniuses, immediately knowing how to thoroughly scrape clean an occupied territory without needing practice.”

Then the Demon Hunter sneered again: ”It’s just that the dead are too far from them, the battle line is too far from them. Whereas Niflgaard’s intricate products and good news can constantly be conveyed through trade routes.”

Lann sneered disdainfully, but he knew it was normal and could understand it rationally.

Bad news from faraway places always gives people a feeling of ’what does it have to do with me’.

Yet the exquisite handicrafts that truly appear around them, and the beautiful descriptions of distant kingdoms, are always remembered in people’s hearts.

”Ah, I still think, being Warlocks, we shouldn’t get too involved in the conflicts between the kingdoms.”

Tishaya said, furrowing her brows and pinching her forehead.

But soon, her student refuted her.

”I still think that if the Niflgaard people come over and the Warlock community doesn’t show a clear stance, then our future will not be optimistic.”

The blonde beauty, this time arguing with her teacher, did not use that playful expression she usually did, but was deep and serious.

If it were before, perhaps Margaret would indeed have been indifferent to the wars in distant places.

Even when hearing those news, comfortably lying in a steaming bath, holding a glass of iced beverage.

However, for Lann back then, she went to Sodden Mountain against Tishaya’s face.

There she saw the truth about the North-South war and truly plunged into that meat grinder.

Since that time, upon returning, she became somewhat different.

Tishaya wasn’t bothered by Margaret’s refutation; evidently, they must have discussed this issue many times before Lann returned.

”So, we need to unify our thoughts,” Tishaya summed up, saying, ”within the entire Northern Warlock community, unify our thoughts.”

”The future of Warlocks, the future of Magic, should have a statement during discussions.”

While the two female Warlocks were contemplating the future of the Warlock community, Lann, being a sensitive warrior, was thinking about something else.

”For such a large conference, how is the security arranged?”

The Demon Hunter asked seriously.

”This is Gos Velen within Northern Temeria, dear,” Margaret responded without any tension. ”The participants are all Warlocks.”

”At that time, the city defense of Gos Velen will conduct thorough checks, and the academy has magical protections... Do the Niflgaard people have a screw loose? Or does the Great Sun reveal itself? Able to round up all of us Warlocks from Airetusa here?”

”Of course, they don’t have the ability to deploy such a massive force remotely,” Lann said calmly, ”but they only need to stir up some trouble during your meeting, and I believe the already conflicted meeting will be ignited.”

”Your concern is that spies might disrupt things?” Tishaya glanced at Lann and continued.

”This time, Philippa will also come. Her partner must be that spy chief from Redania, Dikoschek.”

”In terms of spies, what kind of spies can compare to the historically profound Redania?”

”This spy chief has gained special approval from Veltrest, so even when accompanying Philippa to the conference, he is likely surrounded by a group of subordinates.”

”At that time, not even a magic spy mouse could escape their eyes.”

When it comes to espionage, Lann is indeed not adept, so he wouldn’t express much opinion, just giving a reminder.

But when Tishaya mentioned the name ’Dikoschek’, Margaret’s entirely agreeable expression let Lann know that this name belonged to a truly capable person.

As a spy chief, to have such a loud reputation but still be fine till now.

Even daring to leave his lair, the capital of Redania, Crito. Leisurely running to Gos Velen in Temeria to attend a Warlock’s banquet.

Lann keeps this person in mind, considering him a skilled master of espionage.

”Then it seems this conference is something you have to worry about yourselves,” Lann shook his head, saying, ”The internal resolutions of Warlocks are not suitable for me to meddle in. Messing up might instead bring hostility against you or leave a handle.”

”But if there’s a need, just speak up.”

The Demon Hunter nodded seriously to Tishaya and Margaret.

”Of course, of course,” Margaret’s smile returned to her face as she looked at the Demon Hunter’s cheeks. ”I certainly won’t be courteous with you.”

”But now, you should focus on taking good care of the guests. If Airetusa is rude to guests, that would indeed be a scandal.”

”Apologies, ladies,” Margaret said, turning to look at Maria and Adeline across the table, with an apologetic expression as the hostess.

”We’ve been talking so much about things excluding you.”

”No, it’s nothing, Lady Margarita,” Maria said, her calm face unchanged, ”we are already very grateful to receive magical assistance.”

”Although we didn’t understand many things just now, if you need a Hunter...”

”I’m very skilled at hunting.”