There are no detailed records of the Ice Giant's age and strength, because it is unique in the world and there is no second Ice Giant in the world that can be observed and recorded.
So ancient and powerful is it that no one knows when it first appeared in Skellige's poetry and legend; even the oldest people on the island can recall that their grandparents used to still crying children in the middle of the night with ghost stories about the Frost Giants.
Lann could be sure that this ice giant was at least many times stronger than the old spearhead he had defeated.
If Easter succeeds in defeating the Frost Giants, there is no doubt that he will become an epic hero like the ancestor in Skellige poetry. At that time, let alone becoming king, perhaps no one will object to changing the throne to an inheritance system.
At the same time, it can be expected that this demon hunting mission will definitely bring huge benefits to Lann.
But at this moment, Lann was filled with worry and he didn't want to complete this task.
He turned to King Bran and said, "What do you think of this matter? With all due respect, this is really... too dangerous."
King Bran's expression was not much better than Lann's. In the past few days, he had repeatedly persuaded his brother not to take risks, but he had never succeeded.
"The Skellige people value three things the most: honor, the deeds of their ancestors, and divine weapons." King Bran sighed, "Easter is determined to pursue honor, and this is also following in the footsteps of his ancestors. I should support her..."
"Then support me." Easter said, "I will take fifty warriors from my family with me, and find a blacksmith to make a weapon for me that can kill the ice giant. Then I will land on Udvik Island."
"Don't be anxious, my brother." King Bran advised hurriedly, "I have invited the other five families to a banquet on Little Skellige Island in three days. At that time, Lann and I will persuade them to send troops. Perhaps you don't need to become king at all, and naturally you don't need to take risks..."
Easter retorted: "Even if they agree, this level of support will never be as powerful as 'Revenge for the King'."
Now even Lann began to persuade East: "Maybe we don't need to be so anxious. Let me try first. If it doesn't work, we can plan the route of the Frost Giants."
Then even Ciri joined in. Although the girl had no idea how strong the ice giants were, seeing King Bran and Lann in this state, they must be very dangerous.
The little girl doesn't want to lose her grandfather too.
Finally, Easter sighed and reluctantly agreed to let Lann and King Bran contact the other five families first. But in the process, he would also prepare the team and wait for the right time to attack on his own.
King Bran looked at Lann with gratitude and reached out to touch Ciri's head, but after looking at his greasy hands, he gave up.
Not wanting to talk about the Frost Giants anymore, His Majesty the King decided to change the subject and start talking about the situation in the north and south of the continent.
"Nilfgaard..." King Bran sighed, "I never thought it would become such a huge country. I once took a ship to plunder their 'City of Golden Towers'."
"I also went to rob them." Kratz, who had been silent, finally found an opportunity to interrupt. "That city is indeed beautiful. When the sun shines on it, the whole city looks like gold. I really thought it was all gold, but I returned disappointed."
"At that time, that city was the entire territory of Nilfgaard." East frowned, not knowing what he was thinking of. "Emhyr... Who would have thought that guy would turn a small city into the behemoth it is today in such a short time."
This statement silenced everyone present. Nilfgaard was their enemy, but no one present could deny the Emperor Emhyr's skill and courage, and no one could deny the current power of the Black Sun Empire.
King Bran took a deep breath and patted his head: "Don't think about the past. Now that the enemy has appeared, we only need to think of ways to deal with him."
"There are still a few days until the banquet begins. What are your plans during this time, Lan? How about I arrange for a few people to show you around?"
Hearing King Bran's question, Lann fell into deep thought: "If it's arranged..."
…
"Can you tell me more about the ghost on the mountain?"
At the dock of Great Skellige Island, Lan asked a man dressed as a mountaineer.
Facing Lann, the three demon hunters behind him, and the forty or so Cintra soldiers behind them, even the Skellige people, who were known for their bravery, couldn't help but look nervous.
"Look at your armor... You are from Cintra, right? Who are you and why are you interested in this?"
"I heard about this from the gossip of the sailors at the dock. I heard that you knew the details, so I came here to ask for your advice." Lann said politely, "I am Lann of Cintra, Lann Lannister Rhaanron."
Behind Lann, Milva and House looked at each other and sighed softly in their hearts.
When he was in Brokilon, the Duke was keen on helping the people solve all kinds of trivial matters.
At that time, one could explain the Duke's enthusiasm for this kind of thing, thinking that it was stabilizing the lives of his subjects - I didn't expect that he would still be like this after coming to Skellige.
When the mountain people heard Lan's name at first, they just felt that it sounded familiar, but after looking carefully at Lan's cloak, hair, and eyes, they suddenly reacted.
"You are the Lion of Cintra?" The mountain dweller jumped up. "I have heard your stories in the tavern, and sailors and merchants returning from the sea often bring back your poems. Your performance on the battlefield sounds really inspiring, man!"
"Oh my God, you don't even look much older than my son! Don't worry, kid. I can't say anything about other families, but we on the island of Skellige will definitely support you. We also have an irreconcilable feud with the Nilfgaardians!"
House, who was standing behind Lann, clenched his fists. Damn, why is this mountain man so disrespectful? Did he just want to pat the Duke on the shoulder? Should I bring people to break that hand later?
Lan En didn't really care about etiquette. If the other person was a noble and was rude to him, Lan En would feel offended; but if it was a commoner who didn't know the details of etiquette, Lan En wouldn't take it to heart at all.
Besides, this is Skellige.
"Yes, yes." Lann smiled, "Kratz is my cousin, and he invited me to visit here recently. I was thinking if I could help him or something, and I just happened to hear rumors of ghosts on the mountain, so I wanted to come and see if there was anything I could do."
"I know. 'A Lannister's word is worth a thousand gold', right? I've heard it." The mountaineer laughed. "I say you are a Skellige man, a son of the Isles. That's more fitting for you!"
House let out a deep breath. He felt that he should knock out a few teeth of this bragging mountain man.
The unconscious mountain dweller continued to say to Lan: "You want to know about the ghosts on the mountain. You have asked the right person. Listen to me..."
After a while, the system's prompt sounded in Lan's ears——
[Discovery Mission - Cabin in the Woods:
In order to provide a resting place for hunters and woodcutters in the mountains, kind-hearted mountain people built a hut as a transit station. But one day, a horrific murder occurred there, and the vengeful spirits have been wandering there ever since. The mountain people's axes are helpless against the empty souls, and perhaps the demon hunter can solve this problem. 】
Lan nodded with satisfaction, turned around and thought for a moment before extending his hand: "Geralt, are you willing to make the trip? I'll arrange for Milva and five other people to follow you. Can you teach them how to deal with these evil spirits? This mission can also be registered at the castle and you can get paid. All the bounty will be yours."
Geralt sighed: "Of course you can, but what's the point of doing this..."
"The Demon Hunter Order." Before Lann could answer, Cohen said it decisively.
He patted Lann's shoulder vigorously: "This is what our Griffin School is like... No, this is what a demon hunter should do!"
"Entrust this to me, Lan. I can give up the bounty and distribute the money to the families that have been harmed by evil spirits. They need the money more!"
Lann couldn't help but twitch his lips when facing Coen who suddenly felt a sense of mission: "No, no, Coen, that's not necessary... I would like to discuss this matter later. Although the bounty is nothing to me, it is still indispensable to the entire demon hunter group..."
After some kind words of persuasion to calm Cohen down, the energetic Griffin Witcher finally went up the mountain with Geralt.
Kolgrim crossed his arms and watched his two companions go away, then looked at Lann: "What about me? What work do I have?"
After all, this was not Brokilon, where Lann could have his men collect tasks directly, and then wait in the study comfortably for the experience to be delivered to him after the tasks were completed. Now he had to take the initiative to find tasks.
"House!"
"I am here, my Lord!"
兰恩指了指酒馆：“去帮我收集点情报，不仅限于委托的，帮我也打听打听群岛其他家族的情报，尤其是他们对于尼弗迦德和辛特拉的态度。”
“是，大人！”
豪斯低头铿锵应道，突然听到有破风声从面前袭来，一抬头，正好看到一个钱袋从公爵大人的手中飞出来。
“不要吝啬酒水钱，需要的时候请别人喝几杯。群岛人不太注重礼节，你也客气点。当然遇到刁难也不要怕事，有麻烦找我，克拉茨表兄也是自家人，不用担心。”
豪斯手足无措地接住钱袋，另一只手摸了摸自己的腰间：“啊……大人，您上次给我的赏赐还没有花完……”
“那就多带几个兄弟一起去喝酒，顺便教教他们怎么探消息。多养几个帮手出来，你以后也能轻松点。”
“……是，大人。”
话说完，兰恩头也不回地带着剩下的人奔赴下一个码头。
三名辛特拉骑兵跟在豪斯的身后，有点紧张。
上马打仗是他们的本质，酒馆喝酒吹牛是他们的乐趣，但是打探情报他们还真的没有多擅长。
“豪斯先生……我们该怎么做？”
腰挎狮首银剑的侍从抛了抛手里的钱袋，看向一旁的酒馆。
里面传出兴奋的拼酒声、吵闹声、喝彩声。
伸手入怀摸着自己的珍藏，豪斯成竹在胸。
……
“要来一把昆特牌吗？”
现在是白天，但是史凯利格的酒馆欢腾不分时间。
一进门，人们就会被炭烤的肉香、新鲜面包的麦香，还有浓烈啤酒的醇香所包围。
开门正对的是酒馆老板的吧台，那里放着一个大得惊人的烤架，上面是大块的肉和大条的鱼；酒馆西侧挂了一个靶子，几个人在那里赌飞刀；酒馆东侧被人清理了出来，几个人似乎在摔跤，或者是打拳击。
豪斯的目标自然是酒馆西侧的牌桌。他跟别人打牌是一局20克朗，公爵大人给他的钱足够他从现在一直输到明天早上——如果他一直输的话。
而他的对手如果输了牌，则要给豪斯点一杯酒或者一份特色美食，然后再讲一件本地发生的新鲜事情——作为一名外地人，这个要求很合理。
不知道过了多久。
当豪斯再次坐下来的时候，他的左手边放着一杯黄金麦酒，右手边放着一份海盐烤鲟鱼佐萝卜泥——因为鲟鱼的数量锐减，这道菜现在已经相当昂贵了。
跟在他身后的三名辛特拉骑兵面色涨红，显然已经喝得四五分醉了。他们每个人还端着一个大盘子，上面放着三四块肉排、烤鱼、大堆的萝卜泥和土豆泥，还能够看到蘑菇和甜菜。
他们窃窃私语着：
“喂，我有点吃不下了……你呢？”
“我是喝不下了，再喝就要误事了……豪斯先生貌似没怎么喝酒吧，都给我们了……”
“真是……强大，不愧是狮群的一员啊豪斯先生……我们从进酒馆到现在貌似还没花过钱吧？”
“再这么下去我甚至担心我们的钱会越来越多……”
“钱变多难道已经变成需要担心的事情了吗？”
三名辛特拉骑兵苦着脸，从来没想过喝酒吃肉会变成一件难为人的事情。
在他们身前，豪斯的对手发出一声哀嚎，双手重重地拍在桌子上，发出难以置信的惨叫：
“你怎么连这种牌都有，‘北方领域’怎么打得过我的‘怪物’牌组？”
豪斯微抬下巴，收起桌面上印着金发骑士的卡牌，淡淡地说道：“兰尼斯特天下无敌！”
输了牌的家伙眼神变得危险起来，似乎想要动手。但是他的意图很快就被识破了，显然豪斯见多了这样输红眼的赌徒。
剑侍从打了个响指，身后的三名骑兵立刻把三个托盘狠狠地砸在桌子上，那股战场老兵的凶气缓缓散发出来。
赌徒顿时缩了起来，喏喏道：“这位……先生，我没有钱了，真的，都输光了，连请你喝酒的钱都没有了。我原本想着这一把能够翻盘的……”
他忙着解释，而对面四人面无表情。于是他想了想，急忙翻出身上的一张不知道画着什么的图纸，递给豪斯：
“我身上只有这个了，这就是我的全部财产了。它……它是一张图纸，很珍贵的图纸，绝对足够二十，甚至五十克朗的，换算成钱币，足够你的人在酒馆都饱餐一顿！”
豪斯挑了挑眉毛，信手接过：“朋友，我很同情你，真的，但是用物品抵押的话，价格就不是你说了就能……”
说着说着，豪斯的声音越来越小。
他皱起了眉毛。
只见他手中的图纸上面，赫然画着一把熊首剑柄的长剑。上面详细地标注了长剑的尺寸、材料，只要找一个足够合格的铁匠，依样画葫芦打出一把同样的长剑绝对不是什么难事。
赌徒看到豪斯的表情，霎时间还以为他不满意，急忙解释道：“这位先生，不瞒你说，我以前也是一个酒馆的老板，我曾经在酒馆里面招待过一个奇怪的男人——他跟熊一样壮，牌技却跟水鬼一样烂！他一个晚上输了我足足两百个克朗，最后实在没东西输了，就把这个东西抵押给我了，说这是个很珍贵的装备图纸！”
豪斯扬了扬手里的图纸：“所以你知道这是什么？”
赌徒的声音顿时小了下来：“我……看不懂上面的字，但是当时那个壮汉说这东西比他输给我的钱还要值钱，我看他不是说谎的人。”
豪斯想了想，问道：“那个男人后来去哪里了？”
没想到赌徒听到这个问题突然激动起来：“那个家伙本来说着要带钱过来赎这张破……这张图纸的，但是当晚我的酒馆突然遭到了一伙人的袭击，混乱之中那个男人就跑没影了！幸好那段时间因为伊斯特先生的事情，岛屿周围的巡逻队数量加倍了，领主大人的士兵及时发现了敌人并且将他们拿下，不然恐怕我的酒馆都要付之一炬了！”
豪斯看着手里的图纸，露出若有所思的表情：“你知道袭击的那伙人是哪里来的吗？那个男人现在又在哪里？”
赌徒露出奇怪的表情：“你为什么在意这个？”
豪斯一脸理所当然的自然：“你输了牌，除了要请客外还要给我一个故事，这就是很好的故事。”
听到豪斯的话语中已经认可了图纸的价值，不用自己再付钱了，赌徒的脸上顿时振奋起来。
“听克拉茨大人后来的声明，那伙人似乎来自‘弧形海岸’公国，那是瑞达尼亚的附庸国。至于那个男人……他肯定还在史凯利格，他这种身无分文的赌徒，根本逃不出去！”
听到赌徒的最后几句话，豪斯四人顿时投向了奇怪的目光，似乎在说“作为赌徒你也好不到哪里去”。
而且那个男人在史凯利格……这不是说了跟没说一样嘛……算了，回去跟公爵大人报告一下，如果大人确实感兴趣的话一定有办法的。
就是这种小事还要麻烦大人亲自出手，让豪斯很不开心。
“我的牌技还是不错的……”赌徒迎着四人的视线，喏喏地说道，“而且那一晚虽然卫兵来得及时，但是我的酒馆依旧蒙受了不小的损失，所以才想着出来玩一玩。我还是有酒馆、有产业的人。”
“那你为什么不赊账，而是用这张‘价值不菲’的图纸来抵一杯酒？”
赌徒说不出话来了。
而他的心思豪斯也清楚，这个家伙估计是不识货的人，只想着把这张他看不懂的“废纸”尽快出手，能够抵一杯酒都算是赚了。
尤其是还是在输牌输到输无可输的时候。
看到周围有几个喝多了的水手把视线投过来了，豪斯知道自己今天应该就到此为止了。史凯利格人是出了名的团结，自己又是外地人，之前已经赢了太多把，现在又把一个人赢到裤子都快输掉，是时候见好就收了。
回想到公爵大人对自己“与人为善”的嘱咐，豪斯轻咳一声，从兜里掏出十个克朗放到桌子上：
“这张图纸确实是有价值的，我也不想占你的便宜。你听起来像个可怜人，用这些钱搭个货车吧，免得你用双腿走回去。”
赌徒听闻此言突然抬头，眼睛放光：“那个男人说这图纸值两百……”
“滚！”豪斯狠狠一拍桌子。
不要说豪斯生气，连周围原本想要帮本地人出头的水手们都收回了视线。
“赌狗！”看着对方踉跄逃走的背影，豪斯狠狠啐了一口。
学着公爵大人的样子摇摇头，豪斯招呼几名骑兵坐下，想着好好把眼前的这些肉排对付光，然后就打道回府。
一名水手突然坐在他面前。
“有何贵干？”
面对豪斯的询问，水手笑了起来：“你看上去像是个不错的人。你似乎对那个熊一样的男人感兴趣？我可以告诉你。”
"Besides that, I know a little secret that Cintra might care about. If you want to know, I can tell you as well."