Bear School Astartes

Lann didn’t blame Lincoln, even though his words were uncertain.

It was mentioned before, although Dudu in Novigrad had already reached a cooperation with several idle mages to use magic for communication.

But now, the situation in the entire world is like a pot of boiling water on the verge of overflowing. Every magic message transmitted quickly through the air is intercepted and eavesdropped on secretly by unknown people and forces.

Making it so that, although there are means of magic communication, there is still a greater reliance on traditional methods like messengers and carrier pigeons.

Until there are greater advancements in the confidentiality and stable transmission of magic communication technology, foreseeable changes in this situation are difficult to come by.

The messages from Novigrad to High Hill Castle already take a considerable amount of time just to reach here.

Not to mention the encrypted and convoluted ways through which they are transmitted.

The inefficiency caused by spatial distance in communication, even in the Human Empire that has already ventured into the Star Sea, remains the greatest challenge faced by humans, without exception.

Lincoln’s words did not cause a significant upheaval in Lann’s mind.

The organizational form of the Dark Alley Gang is essentially just a gang, its structure inevitably leading to most of its members being a bunch of scum.

Two-faced, greedy, forgetful once they’re well-off... these are all typical traits of gang members.

”I’ve talked with Francis since the days we reached a cooperation, and ultimately, the Dark Alley Gang must be reformed into an independent company or a department within a company.”

”What’s the future in gang affiliation? Earning that bit of money only blinds one... To put it plainly, the Dark Alley Gang is full of foolish thugs who only know how to act tough on the streets. Francis’s efforts to educate and transform them are too slow; you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

Lann spoke more with resignation than anger.

Seizing control over the funding channels and personnel appointments of the Dark Alley Gang, eventually reforming it into a company department in practice.

Lann mentioned this to Dudu and Francis. They are smart people and fully understand this development trend.

What left Lann speechless was that upon his return, the report still openly titled ”Dark Alley Gang,” as if running parallel to his other ventures in Novigrad, without forming any cooperation, remaining distinctly separate.

Though he knows transforming an internally disordered gang whose members are mostly of low quality into a more regulated form requires a gradual process, he’s been away for only half a year and surely things aren’t completed.

But shouldn’t there at least be some initial signs of progress?

”Clap clap,” Geralt, sitting in a chair against the wall with his usual stoic expression, clapped sarcastically.

Acting like he was talking to Belengar beside him, yet deliberately raising his voice so everyone could hear.

”Look! He opens his mouth and says, ’gangs are dogs who can’t quit their bad habits.’ We used to have to speak politely when encountering gang leaders.”

Belengar nodded agreeing.

Lann felt more speechless, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the seating arrangement of the two sarcastic old demon hunters.

”You’re polite with gang leaders because you’re used to avoiding trouble and want to get information and money from them, don’t pretend you can’t actually beat them, White Wolf. As for you, Belengar... tsk tsk tsk, maybe you do need to be a bit more polite.”

Belengar, who had been nodding ironically, froze, simultaneously pulling the chair beneath him further away from Geralt.

With just one sentence, he created internal friction among the two old demon hunters who teamed up to tease him.

”Alright, no need to waste too much time on unimportant matters.” After joking with his friends, Lann relaxed considerably, raising his eyes to look at Lincoln.

”Now, we can talk about those truly important matters. You know what I’m referring to, Lincoln.”

The young secretary nodded, reaching for the spine of the large notebook hung slantingly across his bag, extracting a key.

As he handed the key to Lann, the Roaring Bear Head Pendant around the demon hunter’s neck vibrated slightly.

This is a magic key used to open a magic lock.

From the bottom layer of the office safe, Lincoln pulled out a small box, which is what’s paired with the magic key.

”Magic safe from Airetusa.” Lincoln announced as he pushed the small box in front of Lann, nodding at the lunchbox-like item as he withdrew his hand. ”Such a small thing already cost three thousand three hundred Oreans.”

”Since it’s for confidentiality needs, it’s best not to worry about such trivialities.” Lann nonchalantly inserted the key as he spoke.

Inside the small box is a stack of documents that isn’t very thick.

The magic of information and intelligence lies in this: the value of this stack of papers is not even worth fifty times an Oren, but as long as certain things are written on it, it deserves to be protected by a box worth three thousand Orens.

The documents themselves seem to be some kind of standard ledger or diary, except the emblem embossed on the cover is not the commonly seen Temerian White Lily in the Velen Region.

Instead, it is a black background with a gold-red pattern in the shape of mountains.

This is the kingdom emblem of Yaden.

This should be a book used by government personnel of Yaden, but now, it appears in Lann’s hands.

”Couldn’t they use a less conspicuous book?” Lann grumbled while taking out the documents and flipping through quickly, just like before. ”Sending this over is way too obvious.”

”No choice, Sir,” Lincoln said reasonably, ”Although Yaden’s army hasn’t gained much advantage, they are mainly fighting guerrilla warfare, so it’s already difficult for them to find a book to write in.”

The documents sent from Yaden are mainly intelligence and ledgers.

Regarding the Squirrel Faction troops formed by Sachia and Iophis, and the local peasant uprising in Yaden.

To this day, the conversation between Lann, Sachia, and Iophis in that elven ruin where they slaughtered the [Fog Nest Master] Terror Tyrannosaurus is gradually being pushed to become reality.

Sachia and Iophis are striving to shed the radical, anti-human label of the ’Squirrel Faction’ for the troops they lead.

After all, according to Lann’s perspective and Iophis’ insights, they must unite most humans to possibly succeed in the cause of racial equality.

With the label of the Squirrel Faction, there’s only intimidation, not a shred of unity.

But for some reason, when they found those besieged and suppressed peasant uprisings on Yaden’s land... those humans seemed to wish they were the Squirrel Faction.

They struggled to explain that they’re not the Squirrel Faction, yet others seemed quite disappointed.

Does it mean Yaden’s army kills peasant uprisings on a scale far larger than the Squirrel Faction indiscriminately attacking humans?

Consequently, the Squirrel Faction came seeking cooperation and mutual benefit, yet before they could start promoting the framework of racial equality simply established by Lann and Iophis, Yaden’s peasant uprising had already sincerely welcomed them for their adeptness at killing humans!

In this situation where even Lann feels dumbfounded, in the context of Yaden suppressing peasant uprisings almost every year, the intimidation attribute of the Squirrel Faction’s name miraculously encompasses the ’unity’ pursued by Sachia and Iophis.

What can Lann say? He can only say that real work in the field is the only way to truly understand the complex local realities.

Also—Demavi is indeed a damned bastard.

However, while Sachia and Iophis find unexpected ease in establishing basic mutual trust with the human peasant uprising, due to Yaden’s suppression, some anticipated problems have begun to surface.

Some non-human races under Iophis still discriminate against human farmers, even subtly exerting violence out of hatred.

And the humans are no different.

Lann acknowledges the legitimacy of the peasant uprising, but at the same time, his education has taught him the limitations of such movements.

At least, from the messages passed by Iophis, Lann can sense that the uprising army has already begun to splinter into small cliques internally.

The leaders who rebel out of sheer fervor and fear of a harsh life, after gaining some achievements against Yaden’s army, immediately indulge in their current success without foresight or goals.

According to Iophis’ own investigations, some of them have already begun privately contacting people within Yaden’s court.

This is just the big issue in the broad direction; matters such as discrimination by human farmers against non-human races are causing small clashes between the two groups to rise with visibly increasing frequency, and a major conflict is brewing.

”I can’t suppress this conflict, Lann.”

This former commander of the Squirrel Faction’s guerrilla force, now a ’friend of Yaden’s human peasant uprising’, says so in the message.

”I am an Elf. My race makes me only worsen things by stating opinions, and Sachia is still learning and growing; she can’t handle these matters yet, and it’s not where she should expend her prestige. That prestige has far more important uses.”

”We all know that use!”

”So now, I must request your help. For our common goals and ideals, it’s time as we agreed.”

”I request that you could send an external powerful intervention and supervision to ensure in this fragile and small group now that discrimination is curbed at an early stage.”