Hearing what Gerd said, Lann choked up and suddenly felt a little embarrassed.
Fortunately, Gerd was a man of integrity and magnanimity. He did not care that Lann's excessive modesty might make others uncomfortable. Instead, he took the initiative to continue the conversation.
"But apart from you, I have never seen any other demon hunter who is stronger than me - even in the Bear Faction, I am still confident of this."
"Before I fled here, not to mention in the archipelago, even in the entire North and the South occupied by Nilfgaard, I had never met anyone stronger than me..."
Lann, however, accurately grasped the key words in Gerd's words: "Ged, you said you 'escaped' to Skellige? Are you in trouble? If you don't mind, perhaps you can tell me about it. Maybe there is something I can help with."
If it were an ordinary person, he might give himself some lip service and cover up his "escape" by saying it was a "strategic shift" or something like that.
But after hearing what Lann said, Gede didn't care at all, and told the truth about his past as if chatting:
"To be honest, I once served a king. But then a coup broke out in the country, and the king's daughter declared that her father was a usurper and that she was the legitimate heir - I know it sounds ridiculous, but that's what she really said."
"The coup was successful in the end, and I was wanted for my firm support for the late king, so I fled to Skellige. I didn't expect them to find this place a few days ago, and almost turned a tavern into ashes. Fortunately, the security here was extremely strict during that time, which prevented the tragedy from happening."
Ged lowered his head, showing loss for the first time in his conversation with Lann, as he mourned for the king he once served.
"I know he's not a good man. He's committed crimes and his hands are stained with blood, but how many nobles in the North are normal? Moreover, he respects me from the bottom of his heart and treats me very well. It's rare to see someone who can treat a demon hunter like this nowadays."
Although Gerd was telling a sad story, Lan's eyes lit up when he heard it.
He found the right entry point from Gerd's autobiography.
The words that were almost etched into the muscle memory of his tongue came out naturally:
"Ged, if that's the case, you can come to Cintra. I have enough confidence to grant you political asylum. And I assure you that everyone in Cintra respects the demon hunters from the bottom of their."
"To be honest, I plan to revive the Demon Hunter Cult in Cintra. We have already gathered griffins, wolves, snakes, and cats. If the bear faction can also join us, then we will almost have the prototype of the original cult..."
…
This was the first time that Lann spoke so confidently about recruiting people. According to his previous style, he would tell the griffins that he had the support of the wolves, snakes and cats, and tell the wolves that the griffins, snakes and cats had joined - and he would do this back and forth.
But this time he really gathered the above four schools, so he was particularly confident in recruiting Gede.
However, the opposite happened.
This time, Lann's most confident recruitment so far was rejected, and it was a flat rejection, not the ambiguous "consider it" that the Wolf Faction had said before.
"I'm sorry, Lann. But I have found someone who can serve me now, and that's Thorgil Tursek."
"When I was a refugee in Skellige, he took me in, treated me with respect, and gave me bread, meat, and wine," Ged said sincerely.
"Although our relationship is mutually beneficial, he regards me as a friend and I regard him as a confidant. We get along very well and I am very happy living here."
"You may have heard some rumors about the Bear School. I can tell you that most of them are true. At least, I really don't have a sense of belonging to the Demon Hunter Order, nor do I have any idea of reviving the school."
The bear-faction demon hunter shook his head slightly, looked at Lann with a look of surprise, and laughed.
"Compared to these great missions, I prefer to follow my brothers. Whether I follow them or lead them, it makes me happy."
"But if you are in Skellige, I can still help you. That's why I am waiting for you here."
"Thorgeir is King Bran's elder, so he gave me a new commission - to help you and support Easter to ascend the throne."
…
After some time.
Sitting on the dragon boat heading to Indarsfair Island, Lan looked melancholy.
At this moment, he was surrounded by only Dona an Cinda, the lord of the Sea Rose family, and Godd, the witcher from the Bear School who temporarily joined the team, plus ten Cintra soldiers led by Milva.
As for the three witchers Geralt, Kolgrim and Cohen, they each led their teams to complete tasks on Great Skellige Island and Little Skellige Island.
We are still in the preparation stage of gathering intelligence and the war has not officially started yet, so there is no need to take all the troops everywhere. It is better to let them use local resources to improve Lann's own strength, and take their own guards with them so that they can become more familiar with handling such matters.
The demon hunters were also happy about this, especially Cohen.
[Mission - Cabin in the Woods - Completed]
[Mission - Unmarried Person - Completed]
[Mission - Mermaid at the bottom of the well - Completed]
[Character level increase +1]
To use the terminology in the game - there are too many "question marks" and "exclamation marks" in Skellige, and there are many commissions that can be accepted. In a short period of time, Lann was pushed up a level.
Now Lann's level has reached 32, and he has finally accumulated 4 extra skill points.
There was nothing more to say. According to the original plan, one skill point was left in preparation for possible followers, and the remaining three skill points were invested by Lann into the skills that he had already prepared to activate.
[Secondary Mutation] Page Skills——[Seal] Category——[Bone-piercing] Add points!
[Frozen]: The Alder Sign can freeze the enemy.
A very brief skill introduction, and the effect is also very direct. It directly gives [Alder Seal] a new effect, turning it from a simple telekinetic impact into an ice element attack.
From now on, Lann is also a scene-setter with ice special effects in his left hand and fire special effects in his right hand.
Lann had seen Geron use the skill [Bone-piercing] once in Toussaint's underground laboratory. At that time, Lann was not yet a demon hunter, and Geron had just been awakened from his slumber. The blizzard generated by [Bone-piercing] directly turned the monsters in the underground laboratory into ice sculptures, and then tore them into ice cubes with the strong wind.
I wonder how big the gap is between my current Fayin and that of Teacher Jielong?
…
While Lan was thinking, Gerd looked at him strangely.
His demon hunter senses were keen and he felt that the lion-eyed young man beside him was suddenly a little different, but he couldn't tell what was different.
However, since Gede and Lan were not familiar with each other after all, he thought about it for a while and did not ask the questions in his mind.
At the same time, Dona's voice rang out: "We are here..."
"Welcome to the Isle of Indarsfair!"
The island was surrounded by a light mist, but everyone on the ship knew that hidden in the mist were lush forests and blue coral reefs.
Indarsfjelle is the smallest island in the Skellige Archipelago, but it has the most special status - it is the birthplace of islander culture.
At this moment, Lann and Gede both came with missions, and although Dona was also an old lord who knew etiquette, he was also eager to avenge his dead family guards.
So after seeing that Lann and Gede didn't care, Dona didn't waste time on any pomp and hospitality, and led the group directly towards their destination - the Temple of Freya.
…
Aside from the Eternal Flame, this was the second time Ran had seen the stronghold of a major religion.
If the Temple Island of the Eternal Fire gave Lan the impression of luxury and solemnity.
Then the only feeling Freya gave to Lan was "natural".
What appeared before Lan's eyes was a forest-like area. It was almost like a corner of the forest was enclosed by a wall. There were large tracts of trees and colorful flowers and plants. The lively appearance almost reminded Lan of Brochilon.
It is also far from the image of "church" that Lane imagined and understood.
Dona led the group to the center of the forest garden, introducing the goddess with the highest status in Skellige and the most beloved by believers to these outsiders:
"Freya is the goddess of the hearth, love, and fertility, and the protector of oracles, seers, and telepaths. Warriors would pray to her before going out to sea to plunder, and wives left on islands would pray for their husbands' safe return."
As Lann and his group went deeper, women who looked like village ladies wearing coarse linen clothes began to appear on the roadside.
They were dressed like village women, and each of them had a slim figure. Although their skin was not very delicate, it was not rough either.
Most of them wore pigtails and carried flower or fruit baskets, full of youth and vitality. This temperament and appearance reminded Lan of the female students he had seen in Niubao.
According to Dona, they were all priests of the temple.
As the group passed by, they all greeted Dona, and the lord greeted them in return.
After greeting Dona, they obviously slowed down their pace, and seemed to be in no hurry to do what they were supposed to do.
——A bunch of eyes were scanning Lan.
Dona smiled as he looked at the young priestesses who were looking at this place curiously, among whom there were a few girls who were only thirteen or fourteen years old.
Even with the flower basket blocking their view, it was not hard to see the blush on their faces due to shyness.
"Normally, they would have left in a hurry after saying hello to me. I didn't expect them to stop by today. This is a treatment I haven't received even though I've been a lord for decades, Lan."
Lan's face was calm, he was used to this kind of small scene.
Gede found these looks new. Even though he had gained a lot of recognition in Skellige, most of the compliments were from big men or lords who were similar to him. It was rare to see these little girl-like looks...
But if I remember correctly, shouldn't the girls in the islands like brave sea warriors or warriors who fight against rocks? The kind with big beards and big bodies? In theory, a handsome knight like Lann should not be popular, right?
Thinking of this, Gede also looked at Lan. Of course, the emotions in his eyes were definitely different from those of the priestesses.
"Why are there such young children here?" Lann looked at the 13 or 14-year-old girls with deer-like eyes, "Are they priests too?"
The images of these priests were also far from the stereotypes of “church” that Lane knew and imagined.
In the Freya sect, men can worship the god Freya, but only women can carry out his will, so there are only female priests in the sect.
"If we use the official title, they are indeed 'priests'." Dona nodded to confirm Lann's question, "But they are still in the 'apprentice' stage. The sect will adopt orphans who lost their families in the battle, raise them, and teach them to read, write, and pray. The talented ones will be trained to become priests."
"The church also regularly recruits students from families living in the islands, but the admission criteria are more stringent."
Lann nodded in understanding: "Is it similar to the system of church schools? Perhaps Cintra can learn from it..."
"Of course you can learn." Dona agreed, "but you need a church."
…
Many of the houses here are built with logs.
When a huge and astonishing marble building finally appeared before him, Lan knew that this was his destination.
At the top of the long stone steps was a building covered with moss, ivy, and shrubs, looking like a giant hedgehog. On its roof, Lan saw bushes and even a few small trees and mistletoe.
Two young priestesses waited in silence in front of the temple. Dona greeted them politely and expressed his desire to speak with their leader, whom he called "High Priestess Sigrdrifa."
They walked through the entrance, and the interior of the temple was illuminated by sunlight from the high windows. One of the rays of sunlight fell directly on the altar.
The two priestesses signaled to everyone to stay calm, because at this moment they could still faintly hear the sound of prayers coming from inside.
…
"—Goddess Freya! Grant me the power to love, bear children, raise warriors, and slay my enemies!"
…
The corners of Lan's mouth twitched. This prayer was too naked and didn't seem like something that should appear in a temple.
On the plain marble altar, above the cats and eagles, above the stone shells used for votive offerings, stood the Great Mother Freya, a maternal figure in flowing robes, pregnant with a belly that was exaggerated by the sculptor.
Freya is a goddess of trinity, including virgin, mother and old lady, and "mother" is her most common image.
The statue in front of me has her head bowed, her facial features covered by a piece of cloth. The goddess has her hands folded in front of her chest, and a diamond is hanging in the middle of the golden necklace above her. The diamond is slightly aqua blue. It is very big.
It is estimated to be at least 150 carats.
The believers who had just prayed had already left, leaving only a tall priest in front of the altar.
She was really tall, and when she turned around, her eyes were almost level with Lan. Her hair and eyes were very light, and she had a thin and long face that was neither pretty nor feminine.
"Welcome, My Lord Earl, welcome to the Temple of Our Lady." The tall priest greeted Dona.
"Welcome to you too, Lann from Cintra, and the witcher Gerd from the south."
Dona, the respected old man in Skellige, bowed slightly to the priest and saluted his faith: "Greetings to you, honorable high priestess Sigurdlifa."
Lan and Gerd merely bowed their heads in greeting.
"Your Excellency High Priestess Sigurdlifa?" Lann was curious. "You seem to know we are coming?"
High Priestess Sigurdrifa nodded. "Lion of Cintra, your name has long spread to Skellige. And now, you have been here for only a week, but you have already stopped a conspiracy that could have led to the collapse of Skellige."
Then the high priest turned to Ged and said, "I am a bear-faction witcher from the south. I heard that you are very brave and your first prey when you came to Skellige was the green dragon entrenched in the elven ruins. The islanders are indebted to you, and a poem about you is already being written."
Gerd rubbed the back of his head and said, "That green dragon is not much bigger than a horse. It's nothing."
Lan was very curious about the high priest's reaction.
"You seem to know us well and know we are coming?"
The high priest chuckled. "I know what you are thinking, but the information about you and the witcher Gerd was brought by the believers during their prayers. As for the information that you are coming to find me, it was notified in advance."
Lann nodded to show that he understood. Just now, seeing the high priest's reaction to the two people, he thought that the other party had used some kind of prophecy magic.
Lan is still very curious about the power of religion, because there really are so-called "Gods" in this world.
Although those gods who actually appear rarely display direct destructive power and their style is not very high, the sects and temples that worship them are often looted and massacred in the background stories.
One of the largest sects in the north is still the Eternal Flame, a large armed organization without gods.
But there really are so-called "Gods" in this world.
…
The high priest must have seen Lann's reaction many times, so he took the initiative to explain: "You seem disappointed that I didn't know about your arrival through divine magic. Please remember - it is not those who believe in God who have power, but God will bestow power through believers when necessary."
Lann cooperated very well and showed a serious and polite expression, indicating that he had been taught. However, his expectations for divine arts had already dropped.
At this time, Dona stepped forward and stated the purpose of his and others' visit: "Sigurdlifa, I came here to ask for your help. We need the help of the Holy Mother Freya."
The high priest smiled faintly, made a listening gesture, and signaled Dona to speak frankly.
"There is a new development in the bloodshed at the King's Banquet." Dona looked into the high priest's pale eyes. "It's the Berserker, the evil god believer who can transform into a bear. The Svalblod Cult has returned."
The high priestess who had maintained a calm expression finally changed. Her face was full of disbelief and a kind of pious anger.
"A follower of the evil god?"
Dona nodded: "So I came to seek help. I wonder if I can get information about those thugs through the power of the Virgin Mary."
The high priestess's chest rose and fell vigorously. She turned her head to look at the statue of Freya's mother in the trinity and forced herself to calm her tone:
"There are still remnants of the Svalblod sect... But the Virgin Mary has never given us an oracle, which means that Svalblod is not a threat."
"They are already a threat. They almost plunged Skellige into unprecedented chaos." Dona countered.
Dona continued, "The Virgin Mary may not have given us an oracle, but as believers, shouldn't we take the initiative to help her? The cultists of the past have reappeared, shouldn't we eliminate the heretics and protect the Virgin Mary's believers?"
…
The high priest lowered his head, thinking carefully about Dona's words.
She was quickly convinced.
"I can try to help find the people behind those thugs."
Gede showed a happy expression when he heard this, and asked curiously: "What are you going to do?"
"It's not me, it's us." The high priest said with a matter-of-fact look, "We pray and ask for God's power."
Lan crossed his arms. Finally, something religious appeared in this sect.
…
Lan looked at Dona and the high priest in front of him. They were kneeling there, with their heads down, motionless.
Lann did not participate. Ever since he suffered a great loss in the Ring of Elements, he refused to meditate and pray in such a place where there might be any risks.
Seeing Lann's reaction, Gede naturally wouldn't make himself bored. Demon hunters have faith, not belief, not to mention that this is a bear.
The high priest did not get angry because of their disrespect for God, but just greeted Donat on his own.
So we have this scene: no hymns, no incantations, and no mysterious consciousness, only two devout believers kneeling on the ground, silently praying for God's power.
A quarter of an hour later, Gede almost started to yawn. He was a little impatient.
Lann was still patient and was waiting to see whether the high priest could pray for God's power.
But he believed in King Bran and he believed in Dona.
An old lord who is the most respected in the archipelago is definitely not a person who is blinded by faith. He will definitely not treat the succession to the throne of Skellige with nonsense.
Another quarter of an hour passed in this patient waiting.
Suddenly, Lan felt that he was being looked at.
This feeling was similar to the one he had just felt when he was stared at by those curious priestesses on the road. Lan, who had long been accustomed to other people's gazes, was particularly sensitive to this.
But compared to the shy looks of those little girls, this gaze was... exceptionally direct.
If the gazes of those girls were like secretly poking their heads out from behind the tree trunks, chattering and peeping curiously; then the gaze that fell on Lann at this moment was like a person holding a torch in front of him in the middle of the night, looking at him regardless of the possibility of setting his hair on fire.
If this unbridled feeling was magnified several times, Lan En would almost mistake it for Master Mirror returning from the star realm.
However, the gaze only stayed on Lann for a moment, as if it had discovered something, and then disappeared quickly.
At the same time, the high priest who was praying suddenly twitched and gasped like a newborn baby taking its first breath.
Dona was awakened from his prayer by the noise of the high priest and showed an envious expression.
"I have received God's revelation." The high priest felt relieved at first, but then he showed an indescribable expression.
She said: "The secret of the Svalblod sect lies in Mokvarg!"
Lan was very familiar with that expression, it was anger that was forcibly suppressed.
Gerd asked in confusion, "Who is Mokwag?"
"He used to be a pirate and a blasphemer." The high priest took another deep breath, "And now, he is a werewolf, an evil monster that can never be full!"
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