Queen Mi Wei had already taken off her armor at this time.
But she didn't wear a skirt. Instead, she put on a blue robe with gold embroidery and a huge ruby necklace.
Such a large ruby is rare even in the royal family, but when it appears on the queen who is famous in the North for her wisdom and beauty, people will only feel that it is natural, and even feel that it is an honor for the gem.
Lann noticed that Queen Miwei also had long, sunny golden hair, which was much brighter than his own light golden hair that had been bleached a shade by the witcher mutation.
But at the same time, he also noticed that the golden hair was mixed with a lot of silver-gray color, and it was obvious that the queen was also working hard for state affairs. Thinking of her admirable experience, this inevitably caused a sigh.
"I always thought the rumors about you in the North were exaggerated, but now that I've met you in person, I realize they were being subtle."
"Sit down, Lan—can I call you that?"
After seeing Lann enter the room, Queen Miwei smiled faintly: "I don't know if Calanthe has ever told you that we are actually distant cousins."
Lann bowed modestly: "I have studied aristocratic genealogy, so I will not forget this honor."
Lan's choice of words made Mi Wei smile: "You are too polite. But our relationship is also very distant. I am also related to Foltestai, Demawi and others, but I don't know how to address them according to seniority - the blood relationship between nobles is always complicated, especially the royal family."
This was the truth, but Lann didn't know how to respond to it.
Fortunately, Mi Wei seemed to just, or simply wanted to express her goodwill to the young talent in front of her who helped her a lot, and did not continue the conversation along this topic.
Then she saw the picture frame that Lann had brought.
"Gift?"
Lan nodded and picked up Alice's painting.
Queen Mi Wei suddenly showed a look of surprise, and then became amazed.
“This color palette and composition, as well as this strong personal style, I have never felt this in any other artist today… This is a new master.”
It is said that Queen Mi Wei hated tutoring when she was young, but she was definitely not lacking in basic artistic qualities due to the influence of her surroundings. After becoming the queen, she saw countless collections and could easily judge the level of Lan's paintings.
She stepped forward in amazement and immediately discovered the problem: "But the content and perspective of this painting... Could this master be hiding in your Knights? And the timing is not right. How could this painting be completed so quickly, and the paint has already dried?"
Lan En smiled mysteriously, and did not comment on Queen Mi Wei's question. He just said, "My painter knew that I was coming to visit Your Majesty, so he specially painted this picture and used some special techniques. I hope you like it."
Queen Mi Wei was not keen on paintings, at most she just looked at them for novelty. But gifts are mainly about the thought behind them, and the information revealed in Lan En's words still interested her.
She did not ask the butler or wine waiter on standby in the house to take action, but stepped forward and took the painting herself.
"I want to thank you, Lan En." Queen Mi Wei suddenly sighed, "Not because of this painting, but because of your timely support."
"Because of the long journey and the harassment from Nilfgaard, I was unable to bring many knights with me. I thought the heart of the North would be smooth sailing, but I didn't expect these monsters to suddenly appear."
"These warriors should gain their own glory and destiny on the battlefield. It is really not worth it for them to die because of these monsters."
She stroked the wine glass in her hand. The martial-loving queen felt particularly sorry for the death of the warrior.
"No one would have thought that something like this would happen." This topic aroused Lan's interest. "I started from Cintra, passed through Temeria and Redania, and didn't encounter any monsters along the way. It was only after I left Novigrad in Redania that I discovered that there were more and more monsters."
"Perhaps we should ask the warlocks about this matter, or..."
Queen Miwei suddenly became quite interested and looked at Lan's unique lion eyes without any hesitation.
Any other young knight might have felt embarrassed by such a look.
"I heard rumors that you were blonde and had blue eyes, but now looking at your pupils... So you really became a demon hunter?"
Lan nodded. This kind of thing couldn't be concealed at all, and he didn't even want to hide it, so much so that it seemed like he was deliberately spreading it.
The identity of a demon hunter that others avoid can play an unexpected role in Lan's opinion at certain times.
"Can I know why you did this? Is it really like the rumors?"
Why? To save his life. If Jielong didn't give himself a mutation, he would have died on the spot.
Lan thought for a moment, and answered with a resolute expression and firm tone: "For my deceased aunt, for my still-living princess, and for my country at war."
The light golden semi-long hair seemed to come alive at this moment. It was a pity that it was dinner time and there was no sunlight coming in from the window, otherwise the atmosphere would be even better.
Mi Wei looked at Lan En with admiration, revealing a smile that only an elder would have: "If Calanthe knew what you have achieved now, she would definitely feel gratified."
"Beverage server, serve Lord Lannister!"
The Queen clinked her glasses with the Lion Count and drank them all.
"We seem to have talked a lot, but so far you haven't told me what you want to say, Lan."
After drinking a glass of wine, Queen Mi Wei remained calm and even sobered up: "Unless you just want to give me a painting as a gift and visit this relative of mine who I don't know how far back he goes?"
Having chatted so much, it's time to get down to business.
Lan En put down his wine glass and sat up straight: "Excuse me for visiting, I want to ask you some questions."
"The situation in the United Kingdom of Lyria and Rivia is too similar to our Cintra. Others in the North may still look down on Nilfgaard, but we who have directly fought against him should not do so."
"I have not yet visited most of the kings present at the meeting, and I am not a man of many words. I would like to ask you to speak up for me and help rebuild the northern gateway."
Just like Lann said, the situation in Miwei's United Kingdom is too similar to that in Cintra.
Especially in terms of geographical location, the United Kingdom of Leiria and Rivia is also located in the southernmost part of the North. It can even be said that the border of this United Kingdom is the border of the North.
The only difference from Sintra is that the United Kingdom is separated from the south by the Yaruga River. This large river that runs across the north almost never freezes, and during the rainy season, the river water can even surge to a mile wide, and is known as the "insurmountable north-south barrier."
That is why Cintra became the first stop of Nilfgaard's invasion of the North.
After the fall of the capital of Cintra and the withdrawal of the remaining forces to Brokilon, Nilfgaard was able to capture Lower Soden and then march into the United Kingdom of Lyria and Rivia.
While the two are talking, the front line may be patrolling day and night to guard against enemy attacks, and small conflicts may break out from time to time.
If the combined army and warlocks of the North had not defeated the main force of Nilfgaard at Mount Sodden, Mivi might have followed in Calanthe's footsteps and become the second regrettable queen of the North.
Therefore, Lann never considered winning over Queen Mevy, because Queen Mevy was Cintra's most natural ally. In the entire North, except for Lann, perhaps only the people of the United Kingdom hoped that Cintra would be liberated as soon as possible.
This time, he came here more to express his attitude of asking for help and to give him the painting.
After hearing what Lann said, Queen Miwei narrowed her eyes slightly and asked the wine waiter to pour her another glass of wine.
Then she asked, "I heard that you left Cintra two months earlier, and even took a detour. You wanted to visit the kings before the meeting, right?"
This was not something that could be hidden or worth hiding, Lann quietly straightforwardly.
Mi Wei suddenly sighed: "If only my two sons had half of your abilities."
Lan En's face twitched, and he suddenly didn't know how to answer this question. He was also not sure whether Mi Wei was praising him.
"Then I suppose you must have met Foltestai and Vizimir."
"Yes."
"What did you tell them?"
Lann organized his words and said, "I have reached an agreement with His Majesty Vizimir II to jointly resist Nilfgaard. He promised to send troops to resist Nilfgaard and help us convince other participants at the meeting."
Mi Wei nodded in understanding: "Vizmir is known as the 'Fair One', and his vision is definitely not shallow. What about Foltestai?"
Lann thought: I have formed a very firm alliance with his daughter.
But it's better not to talk about this kind of thing openly. I guess even Foltestai himself doesn't know about it yet.
Lan thought for a moment and said, "His Majesty Foltestai has no good feelings towards Nilfgaard, but he is also unwilling to spend extra energy to help Cintra. He has great confidence in Temeria and believes that his country is strong enough to fight the Black Sun alone."
Mi Wei sat up straight this time. "Why? Foltste is also a wise ruler. He shouldn't be so unclear about the situation. It is much easier to help Cintra than to fight against Nilfgaard by himself."
Lan lowered his head and sighed: "He proposed a condition that I cannot accept."
"What is it?"
"He wants Princess Cirilla to marry his illegitimate son."
When saying this, a hint of anger flashed in Lan's eyes at the right time.
Queen Mi Wei keenly grasped this point and sighed in her heart: No matter how sharp he is in politics or how brave he is in martial arts, he is still just a young man after all.
However, when she thought of the poems and rumors about "Knight and Princess", "Lion and Princess", "Lion and Lion Cub" and other themes that were widely circulated in the North, she felt that she could understand it.
After all, Queen Mi Wei herself is a person who believes in love.
Whether it was because of Lann's previous rescue of Miwei's team or to provide the United Kingdom with an additional gateway to resist Nilfgaard, Queen Miwei had to analyze the situation for Lann and make a promise.
"Helping Cintra is helping myself, so I will try my best to persuade other kings to help Cintra at the meeting."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Queen Mevy shook her head slightly and asked, "You haven't met Demavy and Henselt yet?"
"Yes."
The queen touched the gem on her chest and explained to Lann: "Demawi's Kingdom of Aedirn is right behind my United Kingdom. Although he is a cruel tyrant, he has a lot of insights in military affairs. I believe he can see through the nature of Nilfgaard. I have a good relationship with him, so it won't be difficult to win him over for you."
"Thanks you."
The queen continued, "Foltest is not a very stubborn guy. Although his hobbies are very... special, he has a very clear grasp of the current situation. If the majority of the meeting agrees to fight against Nilfgaard, he will not reject a proposal that will benefit him in every way."
"That's enough." Lann said, "Cintra has Temeria as its backing, and you are fighting alongside us on the front line. With the support of His Majesty Vizimir, I am confident that we can drive the Nilfgaardians out of the North."
Queen Mi Wei sighed, "No, it's not that simple, Lan."
"I just mentioned so many people, but I didn't tell you about Henselt. And Henselt is exactly the most jerk. He may not be able to help you, but he has the ability to prevent others from helping you."
Lan En was stunned: "I have heard some rumors about him..."
"Then I can tell you responsibly that no matter what rumors you heard about him, most of them are true."
"He has been harassing Demave's kingdom of Aedirn relentlessly since he took the throne. Believe it or not, if Demave sends his army south to fight the Black Sun, Henselt can turn around and send his troops to raid Upper Aedirn."
“Ah, this…”
Queen Miwei shook her head. Henselt's recklessness has always been the biggest headache for other powerful countries in the North. Although the others who can become the monarchs of the four major countries have more or less quirks, they are still qualified politicians in their bones.
Only Henselt, she sometimes really doubted why this man could still maintain his own country.
"And," Queen Miwei added seriously, "Lan, you have to be mentally prepared."
"It's true that these kings can see the situation clearly, but if you really want them to lend a helping hand to Cintra, you will have to pay a certain price."
"Maybe we really need to start considering Cirilla's marriage..."
Mi Wei uttered a heavy word.
Before Lann could react to this, a loud and long horn sounded suddenly from outside the window.
“Woo——”
The sound of the horn came from far away, and the direction of Haji Fortress soon responded.
“Woo——”
Lann of Cintra, Mevi of the United Kingdom of Lyria and Rivia, Demave of Aedirn, Henselt of Kaedwen, Foltest of Temeria. These representatives and monarchs of the Northern Territory have already arrived, so now the response of the horn is only a signal.
"Vizimir is finally here, everyone is here." Queen Miwei exclaimed, "The meeting is about to begin."
…
The world is big.
Just as the main forces of the North gathered in Haji Fortress, on the other side of the world, a man in black sun armor was lowering his head.
His armor was even more advanced than the Nilfgaardian officers' armor seen on the battlefield of Lann. Although most of the patterns on it were covered by sword marks and dust, one could still vaguely see how carefully the blacksmith who forged it had worked to make this armor unique.
In addition to the Black Sun Armor, this man also wore a layer of fine chain mail inside, which could be said to have maximized the defensive performance.
The man in the armor should have been an unruly military officer, but at this moment he was more humble and gentle than any royal butler, and he calmly reported to the person in front of him:
"Vizimir, Foltest, Demave, Henselt, Meeve, and Lann of Cintra. They have all arrived at Hajji's fortress in Pontar. They are conferring privately."
Standing before him was a slim, dark-haired man with an upright figure and moose-skin coat with marks and rust from armor.
"They are not holding a private meeting. The entire North and even the South have known about their meeting. They want everyone in the North to know about it, and they want us to know about it as well."
"Four kings, a queen, and a young earl." The slender dark-haired man chuckled. "Can you guess what they are talking about? Quehoun, my marshal?"
"I can guess." The marshal answered briefly without saying another word. He knew that the man with his back to him hated anyone making unnecessary comments in front of him.
"There are only four major countries and two portals. Weden, Soden, and even Kovir were not invited." The black-haired man shook his head. "This shows that they are either extremely confident or lack confidence. They also did not invite anyone from the Wizarding Association. This is not only interesting, but also of great significance."
"Yes." The marshal was still concise.
The black-haired man didn't look back at him: "No news from Rience and the witchers yet?"
"There is no news about the warlock, but the demon hunters..." The marshal looked up at the man, "They seem to have come together with Lann of Cintra."
"You mean, our intelligence system is not doing its job well?"
"I'm afraid so."
"Then I guess I won't be able to wait for Rience's report any longer?"
"I'm afraid so."
The black-haired man walked a few steps and stopped at the window. He stood there for a long time, looking at the hills bathed in rain.
Marshal Kuhoon waited, his hand nervously clenching and unclenching the pommel of his sword, fearing that he would be forced to listen to another long monologue. The Marshal knew that the man standing at the window saw the monologue as a dialogue, and the dialogue as a proof of privilege and trust.
"Quhoan, I should have called you Governor-General at this time, you know? And this piece of land in front of us is your province, Cintra Province. It's a pity that all of this has been destroyed by a guy who is seventeen... or eighteen years old?"
He chuckled. “The Lion of Cintra… I’ve met his father before. People from Cintra seem to become famous very early.”
"Sintra in the past was not what we see now."
He stretched out his hand, and a corner of the southern area of Sintra was silent and deserted under the rain.
The marshal lowered his head even lower: "Sorry, we are tied up."
"Yes, you do need to apologize, so I hope you can make amends."
"I want you to go to Dol Angra. You will leave when the rebellion is quelled. My troops in Dol Angra need a reliable commander, one who will not accept provocation. The Merry Widow of Lyria, and the Demave of Aedirn... could challenge us at any time. You must control those young officers and calm their impulsive heads. You can only accept the challenge when I give you the order. Until then, do not move."
"Yes, sir."
Dol Angra is a very wide valley that connects Lyria, Rivia, Aedirn, the Valley of Flowers, Kaedwen, and the southern regions. This route passes through the shallowest part of the middle reaches of the Yaruga River and continues north through the Pontar Valley to the Pontar River and the Kingdom of Temeria.
Simply put, this is an important transportation route and a strategic location.
"Also, find some bounty hunters and mercenaries to go to Skellige in the name of 'revenge for the Golden Tower'. Harass them and delay them, and don't let them come to rob the southern coast again. Now is not the time to deal with them."
"Yes, sir."
There was a sudden noise of weapons and spurs, and loud voices, in the antechamber.
Someone knocked on the door.
The man in the moose-skin coat turned and nodded his assent. The marshal bowed briefly and left the room.
The black-haired man returned to the table and sat down, looking down at the map. He looked at it carefully for a long time, and finally rested his forehead on his clasped hands.
There was a huge diamond on his ring, which shone in the candlelight like a thousand flames.
"Your Majesty?" The door creaked and Kuhoon came back.
"Any news, Cuhoon? Any news about Rience?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. The news from the warlock communication device you gave us is that Rience is dead."
The marshal noticed that the black-haired man's hands were twitching. He discovered this by the reflection of the diamond.
"Lane of Cintra, Lann Lannister Rhaanron." The black-haired man tapped the diamond with his fingertips, an action that would make all the nobles, collectors, and jewelers scream, but he didn't care.
After thinking for a while, the man looked up suddenly. "Tell the wizards to start working and prepare to use magic to contact our contacts in the elves. Pass on my verbal orders. The orders are as follows: No need to be cautious, let the Scoia'tael make trouble, and let the Northern Kingdom pay attention to them. Find a few more demon hunters to join their team. I heard that those guys with cat head necklaces are keen to help the elves."
"I remember that, Your Majesty."
"Then let the guys in the forest look for the white-haired witcher and the sorceress. After finding their traces, they should stand by and wait for my orders."
"As you command, Your Majesty."
"This order must be encrypted to prevent any magical deciphering. Remind those wizards that if they mess up, if outsiders learn of my order, they will be held accountable."
"As you command, Your Majesty." The marshal cleared his throat and straightened his back.
Marshal Menno Cuhoon - the future commander-in-chief of the Dor Angra forces - raised his head, stood at attention, and grasped the pommel of his sword.
Before he was the Emperor of Nilfgaard, Emhyr var Emreis, Deithwen Addan yn Carn aep Morvudd - "White Flame Dancing on the Graves of My Enemies".
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