"Marshal, are you okay?"
Vissekid came back to his senses and looked in the direction of the question he was asking. There stood the princess with mouse-gray hair.
After not seeing each other for a long time, the princess has grown a lot compared to when she was separated from him: she is taller and has a girlish figure; only the palms of her hands are beginning to be covered with calluses, which does not look like a princess anymore.
But compared to the distress that the old butler, Ens, expressed from time to time, Vissekid really appreciated these "unprincess-like hands".
After all, His Majesty Calanthe's hands are also rough. This lioness who was able to lead the army and win victory at the age of fifteen is the eternal queen in Vissegerd's heart. Vissegerd is very happy to see Princess Cirilla becoming a new "lioness".
Compared with the princess, another member of the royal family, Lan, surprised Vissekid even more.
After the capital of Cintra was captured, all members of the royal family except Princess Cirilla committed suicide to avoid being captured or humiliated by Nilfgaard.
Lann's existence was a pleasant surprise.
A surprise beyond Vissekid's imagination.
Recalling what happened the previous afternoon, Marshal Visekid, who had experienced many battles in his life, couldn't help but shudder again.
Yesterday, after Lann said "Show me my abilities", Vissekid took Lann to the military camp where he was stationed.
At that time, the soldiers inside were engaged in a confrontation training, and Lann casually grabbed a wooden sword used for training and stopped the training in a way that no one else could understand at all - because he knocked down the vanguards of both teams at the same time.
In the words of one baronial officer: "He seemed to be dancing solo at a banquet."
The soldiers were shocked, but Vissekid was still worried about Lann's fighting ability; Lann expressed his understanding because this was a sneak attack on his part.
So next he challenged the entire Marshal's guards to a battle: head-on confrontation, tacit cooperation, infantry and cavalry fighting together, and they had already formed a battle formation.
The soldiers were full of confidence.
The result was that there was an extra group of people lying on the ground. Lann became even more excited because of the adrenaline of the demon hunter, as if he had just finished warming up.
Only now did Vissekid have to admit that Lane had refreshed his understanding of the word "battle".
Then Lann brought Vissekid to an open space by the lake and showed him his seals and equipment: magic armor that deflects arrows, Quen shield that is invulnerable to swords, Igni flames that are enough to cover a hundred people, and Alder sweeps that are like a storm.
The confusing Axi and the slow-moving Arden are not convenient to show, and the exclusive skills of the Ancient Blood are not mentioned for the time being, but these are enough to make Vissekid waver in Queen Calanthe's previous national policy of "abandoning magic."
Lane showed Marshal Visekid a whole new possibility for warfare.
Vissekid was filled with emotion at the moment. He had heard a lot of rumors about Lann, such as the corpses of enemies were everywhere where the lion passed, and the lion would have fire and storms to disperse the black sun.
He had been on the march and in battle for many years, and had seen many of these words. He originally thought that they were the ravings of refugees, exaggerations and rhetoric made up to give life a little hope.
Now it seems to be realistic!
"You can't imagine what kind of tactics I'm thinking of, Lan. Our soldiers will never lack morale in the future..."
After calming down, the marshal began to think, and then asked a question: "Lane, I see there are many other demon hunters in your team, such as Geralt. Can they achieve the same level as you?"
Lan thought for a moment and answered tactfully, "We belong to different schools, and we are good at different things."
The marshal was silent for a moment: "What about you?"
Lann smiled more tactfully: "I have learned a lot of different things, a little bit of everything."
…
"Marshal, are you okay?"
Vissekid was thinking about Lann, and he lost consciousness again. It was really inappropriate for him to let the princess ask about his condition for the second time.
"Excuse me, Your Highness."
Ciri covered her mouth and chuckled, her words and actions were dignified and polite: "No need to be polite, Marshal, I will trouble you later."
After returning to Brokilon, Ciri suddenly straightened her body, corrected her manners, softened her tone, and became a "princess". Lann almost felt dizzy. If he remembered correctly, Ciri had skipped all the court etiquette courses before.
In the end, Yennefer answered Lann's doubts: "I used to be a royal advisor in Aedirn, and I also taught a lot of etiquette classes in between magic courses. Ciri studied very hard."
A war fortress has been built in the town of Brokilon. Ciri is now standing on the highest point of the wall, which has been simply arranged as a platform, with the three lions flag of Cintra flying behind her.
The blacksmith who once worked in the royal family also made a ceremonial armor for Ciri based on Queen Calanthe's former military uniform, although it was a smaller version.
At this moment, Ciri was wearing a chain mail lining, a white robe on the outside, covering large, thin shoulder armor, a red waist guard, and deerskin bindings.
After putting on the armor, even the young girl, who had not yet fully developed, looked heroic. The old men in the army were also filled with emotion, as if they had seen a lioness alive.
Standing beside her were Lann, Mossack, Vissekid, Geralt, Yennefer, and ten guards selected from Lann's guard team.
In front of Ciri was Brokilon's entire standing army and the army brought by Vissekid.
She will accept their allegiance today.
At the same time, there was a steady stream of other people coming here, and Lann's servants and guards were leading people to maintain order.
"Except for the soldiers who are still on the front line guarding against the Nilfgaardians, the rest are all here. They need to swear an oath to their princess and know who they are fighting for." Mossak said softly to Ciri.
The princess nodded and took a step forward so that her face was in sight of everyone below.
When Cintra was still there, the princess lived in seclusion; during the Brokilon period, she was hidden in Kaer Morhen by Rann, so many people saw Ciri for the first time and knew what the princess looked like for the first time.
…
"This is Xi... Is this our Highness?"
"She still looks like a child...but she does look a lot like Your Majesty."
"Shall we fight back against Nilfgaard under her leadership?"
The soldiers had good discipline and were able to remain silent, but from time to time there were discussions among the people, and it seemed that they had considerable doubts about Ciri's existence.
Lann frowned, took two steps forward and passed Ciri, then turned around, lowered his head, and knelt on one knee towards the princess.
The discussions below suddenly quieted down, and there was no more discussion or questioning.
Vissekid also took two steps forward, looked at the soldiers below, and said loudly:
“Warriors of Cintra, we are all going through difficult times.
In the past, our country was conquered by Nilfgaard, our homes were burned by fire and trampled by iron hooves. Some of us lost our parents, some lost our wives, some lost our children, and some even lost everything. We retreated to Bruges and established our base in a foreign country, just to wait for the moment when the three lions flag will fly again, just to wait for the day when the lion's roar will resound through Cintra again.
We rely on the rage of revenge to support us, but sometimes we are confused. I sleep and eat with you, and I know what you think. We all call out the name of the one who once led us forward: His Majesty Calanthe. "
Vissekid paused here, his eyes reddened, "We lost Her Majesty, and we were unable to protect her when she passed away. This is a shame that we will never be able to wash away.
But in the future, we will have a chance to regain our glory on the battlefield, because we have new followers——"
"Our princess, His Majesty's granddaughter, Her Royal Highness Cirilla Fiona Iren Rayanlun."
Vissekid spoke passionately, his voice spreading everywhere. Then he turned around and knelt on one knee towards Ciri:
"I hereby swear to Her Majesty the Princess that I will always be loyal to Cintra and Her Highness. I swear to use what I have learned, my wisdom and courage to defend the dignity and honor of the kingdom, protect the safety of Her Highness the Princess, and the territorial integrity and prosperity of the country. I will do my best to fight for the security and interests of the country and Her Majesty. At every moment of my duties, I will faithfully act in accordance with the will and decision of Her Highness, as well as the interests and honor of the country. I will abide by this oath until the last moment of my life."
Under the stands, all the soldiers knelt down on one knee at this moment and shouted together:
"I will abide by this oath until the last moment of my life!"
The sound of thousands of people kneeling on the ground shook the ground slightly, and their shouts resounded through the sky. The trees and leaves of the Brokilon Forest swayed gently, as if disturbed by the momentum of humans.
…
Geralt's expression was unnatural, but his body was straight. Yennefer crossed her arms and smiled, a rare moment on her face that had been as cold as an iceberg for thousands of years.
Mossak's eyes were rippled. Although this was not the moment he had been waiting for, he could not help but feel deeply moved when he saw Ciri finally appear in front of his people and accept their loyalty.
Ciri took a deep breath, and felt that the scene before her was many times more terrifying than the monsters she had encountered in Kaer Morhen. However, unlike when she faced the monsters, Ciri did not tremble, but instead felt as if something in her blood had been stimulated.
Her back became straighter, her breathing became heavier, and the expression on her face became increasingly cold, majestic, and even solemn.
She slowly passed Lan and Vissekid, her eyes scanning the front. The soldiers in the army were also neatly lined up in a square formation, as if waiting for something.
"Look up, my warriors!"
Thousands of eyes were cast at Ciri. Ciri looked at them and felt countless emotions in an instant.
The princess took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly, recalling the breathing method she had learned in Kaer Morhen. It was originally prepared for hunting monsters, but she didn't expect it to be useful now.
Her mind went blank for a moment, and then she turned back to look at Lan. At that moment, it was as if a warm fire began to burn in her body, making her cold hands begin to warm up.
At the same time, long passages of words began to automatically emerge in her mind, as if they had come to her mind.
"In the past few days, our country has been attacked, and our homes and people have been threatened like never before. Like you, I have lost almost all of my family members; therefore, I know that fear will grow in your hearts, and the flames of revenge will burn with it until the day when we completely drive out the Nilfgaardians."
"I am fully aware of my age and my lack of experience. I am honored to have received the loyalty of all the warriors. That is why I order you today: Just as you follow and respect me, you should respect and follow our advisor Mossak..."
Ciri turned around and pulled the stunned old druid forward.
All the people applauded for this. Mossak had already won the hearts of the people and became an integral part of the people of Sintra today.
"Go respect and follow our Marshal Vissekid..."
Ciri waved and pointed at the old marshal.
All the newly arrived soldiers cheered, feeling that their perseverance in a foreign country was recognized, and they shed tears of gratitude for this scene of harmony between the monarch and his subjects.
"To respect and follow our..."
Finally, Ciri took a step back and stood behind Lann with a smile.
"…our Lannister, my Lord."
…
After the majestic voice, a mischievous chuckle sounded behind Lan.
All the cheers from the audience seemed to be paused at this moment.
The young man with lion eyes was inevitably stunned. He turned around and met the smiling Ciri.
"Now? Is it necessary?"
"It shouldn't be now. I wanted to do it all at once after the restoration of the country." Ciri said softly, and her tone returned to the excitement of a little girl. "But I heard that when you went to Pontar to meet other kings before, you encountered a lot of difficulties because of your title... So I will give you the highest title first. Anyway, it's just a title, and there is no matching territory to give you now. It will be fine later..."
"According to etiquette, there should be ceremonial vessels, medals, honor guards, and maids to help you dress. I don't have any of that yet, so please bear with it for now..."
After saying this, Ciri immediately switched back to her solemn expression and raised her cold voice to a level that everyone could hear.
"Kneel before me, Lord Lannister!"
Lan forced himself to suppress his smile and turned sideways to ensure that his and Ciri's expressions could be seen by the people below.
Ciri also stepped forward quickly and pulled out Lann's sword of the Lady of the Lake with a clang. The dazzling golden light of the runes merged with the sunlight in an instant, making Lann's light golden hair even more dazzling.
Yennefer looked at Lann with interest. The free and proud sorceress was still whispering to Geralt on this occasion: "He is indeed very handsome... Extraordinarily handsome."
…
Ciri's eyes were also dazzled, and she felt that something extremely beautiful appeared before her eyes. She instantly forgot what to say next.
A hand in an iron glove grasped the blade. It was Lan. He gently placed the sword of the Lady of the Lake on his shoulder and swore loudly:
"Before the Lion Banner, I formally swear to fulfill my duties as Duke. I will protect and uphold the honor and status of my family and be responsible to the reputation of my predecessors, my family and myself.
I will give everything I have to drive out Nilfgaard and recover my homeland. I will protect the rights and interests of my people and defend my princess to the death.
I will do everything I can to help the heroes of this country, past and future, who have fought for this country so that we can inherit and enjoy the traditions and glory of this country and our family.
I now swear: I will always be loyal to my country and my fellow citizens. I will honor the promises and dedication I have made and be a worthy duke. "
As Lann took the oath, there was no other sound in all of Brokilon.
Ciri finally came to her senses. She turned to face the people and wanted to say: Cheer for our Lord Lannister.
It turns out she didn't need to say that.
…
"Why are they cheering for you so loudly? I'm the princess!"
In Brokilon, in the lord's mansion, Ciri held Lan's arm and kept yelling. Although she was still wearing the dress, her tone and expression had regained the liveliness of a young girl.
"Forget about the original soldiers from Cintra, but why are the soldiers brought by Vissegid so respectful to you?"
Lan replied lightly, "I took the time yesterday to beat up a few of the most powerful ones among them... dozens of them - maybe a hundred of them."
Ciri choked.
Then she wrinkled her nose. "Forget it. I can't beat them right now... But your 'Lion Cult', that's the name, right? They really fought with all their might! Aren't they afraid of shouting their throats out? They pushed forward desperately, almost breaking up the army formation. The townspeople of Brokilon also followed them and made a scene!"
The little girl was so angry that she slammed the table: "The voices when they swore to me were so soft, and the cheers for your canonization were so loud, do they still see me as a princess?"
Lan was writing a document, but the ink and paper on the table shook twice with Ciri's movements, almost ruining all his work. He had no choice but to smile and hug the angry princess into his arms.
Ciri rubbed herself in Lan's arms, and her mood just improved a little. When she looked up, she found that Lan just perfunctorily put his left hand on her head, stroking her hair, while the other hand was still writing documents.
She swore that this man was more serious when dealing with Heifeng than he was with herself!
"I'm going to ignore you, I'm going to find Geralt!"
"Why are you looking for him?"
Ciri was obviously angry, but she still answered every question: "I like this armor, I want to ask him if he can stay!"
Lan sneered: "You'd better treat it as a dress. Its design is not reasonable. It's okay to put it on the battlefield or on a horse, but if you go to the forest or other slightly complicated terrain, you can't move at all."
"I don't care. If it doesn't work, just put it in your space magic. You can take it out anytime when I want to wear it!"
The little girl rushed out of the study like the wind to find her "accidental father". Immediately outside the house, she heard the sound of House saluting the princess.
Then the servant gently closed the door that the princess had knocked open.
…
Lane is now preparing to go to Skellige.
The archipelago's naval forces are something that the entire south, north, and even the Kingdom of Zerekan on the other side of the mountain and the Kingdom of Ofir on the other side of the sea do not have.
It is not an exaggeration to praise it as unparalleled in the world.
Although the presence of King Bran and Easter made Skellige a natural ally, the unique political system of the archipelago also made it impossible for him to obtain all the assistance at present. If he wanted Skellige to help him wholeheartedly, he would have to conduct a lobbying like he did with Temeria and Redania.
It would take quite some time, so he needed to settle Brokilon's affairs before that:
The three-headed troll brought back from Kaer Morhen was handed over to Mossak. The druids had their own unique way of dealing with these intelligent monsters - although not very intelligent - and it was conceivable that the infrastructure construction speed of the territory could be significantly increased.
Later, Lann planned to leave most of the Snake Clan members behind and only take Kolgrim with him. It was a waste of talent for a person like Letho to be a high-level fighter by his side.
The leader of the Snake Cult has a strong political sense. Lann plans to let him stay in Brokilon for a while. His specific position will be arranged by Mossak. It seems like a rotation to familiarize him with all aspects of Cintra today, which can also alleviate the pressure of Cintra's current shortage of senior talents.
Letho himself had already realized that staying with Lann would make him "continuously" weaker. Leaving him alone in Cintra would also give him a chance to hone his skills as a demon hunter and strengthen the assassination skills that were engraved in his bones.
In Lann's future plans, Letho will shock the entire North.
Serrit and Oaks stayed with Letho, and they continued to do their old job as demon hunters, taking commissions and so on. Cintra will definitely be the base camp of demon hunters in the future, and the people need to be familiar with the existence of demon hunters.
Although there is Lan now, the lion is too high and mighty. Having two more snakes roaming around among the people can help both sides deepen their understanding. The friendly atmosphere in Cintra laid by Lan also makes the two snakes happy.
Among the three attendants, Levin was kept by Lann and was arranged to be Vissekid's adjutant. The troops brought by Vissekid were all disbanded and reorganized with Brokilon's troops to get to know each other and cultivate combat tacit understanding. When Lann was away, Levin represented the voice of the lion.
Originally, Lann was more willing to keep House, but when he saw the determined look in the servant's eyes as he held the long sword he named "Sward", Lann gave up after thinking about it.
These are the more trivial aspects.
In the general direction, during Lann's absence: Vissegerd continued to train soldiers and confront Nilfgaard; Mossack was in charge of the people and was also responsible for the changes in related management positions in the territory; the old butler Ens managed the finances and was responsible for all dispatches in the territory.
Compared with the perfect systems of Lann's later generations, this management system is too simple. However, in the current form of Cintra, it is barely sufficient.
At least it was much better than before. At least Mossak could be freed up occasionally to study magic. After that, he would ask Kovel to find Kelda to discuss the matter of setting up a mercenary group.
…
Looking at the documents in front of him, Lann breathed a sigh of relief.
Hopefully I can get what I want in Skellige.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
