Gerd did not die. The strong sigils of the bear-faction witcher provided him with solid defense. After being buried under the rubble, the ice giant, whose efficiency far exceeded that of an excavator, quickly dug him out in time.

But he was hit by the catapult's stone bullets after all, and was almost half dead when he was dug out. Fortunately, Fetov was at the scene, and he immediately used the druid's healing magic to stabilize his injuries and then opened a portal to bring him back to the Oak Ring.

After so many days of treatment, Gede's injuries have basically healed, and even the old injuries left over from previous adventures have been mostly cleared up. Gede's current physical condition can be said to be much better than before he was injured.

However, at this moment, Gede did not have the energy and spirit of a healthy person. Instead, he looked gloomy and depressed, exuding an unsettling atmosphere.

When he saw Lann come in, Gerd's eyes lit up briefly.

"Lane, you're here? How's Thorgil?"

The bear-faction demon hunter asked anxiously, "Have you tried your special ability on him? Can you save him?"

Lan was silent and shook his head regretfully.

"I'm sorry... My ability can only heal, not resurrect. When Lord Torgeir was dug out, he was already dead, and even... his body was in tatters."

That was an entire city wall falling on one person, and Thorgeir didn't have Gerd's sign as a defensive buffer.

The bear-faction witcher's eyes lit up briefly and then dimmed again, but in the suppressed place, a force began to gather.

"Lord Torgil has no children, so he should have chosen a branch from the descendants of the Tursek family to inherit his property." Lann said what East told him, "But according to the castle steward's description, Lord Torgil had a verbal will before his death, saying that after his death, his property should be divided among the warriors who were loyal to him. And Gede, you are the one who ranks the highest among them."

"Although there is no written document left, the Tursek family has decided to respect the old lord's will. You are still recovering from your injuries, and other warriors of the Torgil family are unwilling to choose their own share of the inheritance before you."

The warriors under Thorgil also respected Gerd from the bottom of their hearts. Before the battle broke out, it had even been agreed that Gerd would be the leader of all the soldiers.

The honor-seeking island warriors have also sworn together that they will not discuss property matters until they have avenged their sworn master. However, Lann did not tell them this news because it seemed too deliberate.

Gerd took a deep breath and said, "Torgeir... He died at the hands of the Nilfgaardians, and the Nilfgaardians were able to sneak into Little Skellige because of the people of the Principality of the Arc Coast. The Arc Coast came here to hunt me down... If you want to trace it back to the source, Thorgeir actually died because of me. How can I have the face to inherit his legacy?"

There was silence in the cabin for a while.

"Lane, it was your ice giant who dug me out, right?"

"right."

"You saved my life." Gerd raised his head. "How do you want me to thank you?"

Lan was stunned. He had expected many reactions from Gede, but this was definitely not one of them.

What kind of reaction is this? Why did Gede suddenly become so distant?

"We are friends, and more importantly, comrades-in-arms. What are you talking about..."

Gerd shook his head firmly, "We in the Bear School never owe favors to anyone, and there is no such thing as comrades. If a fellow student in the school saves a life, he must be paid."

Bear-faction witchers generally have no sense of teamwork and are emotionally indifferent. But Gerd is not an ordinary bear-faction, he has emotions, and he fought side by side with Lann and Geralt before, and they were quite happy with each other.

Could it be that the druid's treatment suddenly activated the bear factor in his body?

Lan looked into Gede's eyes. There was anger and expectation in them. It definitely didn't seem like his brain had been suddenly cleansed of all emotions.

He looked at Lan, as if urging Lan to say something.

As a demon hunter, Lann suddenly realized something.

"If you're so determined to reward me," he ventured, "how about the Law of Surprise? Give me something you already have without even realizing it."

Gerd breathed a sigh of relief, as if his expectations had been answered.

He lowered his head and muttered to himself:

"Something I already possessed without knowing it... I was tired of fighting and had decided to retire. So I pledged my loyalty to Thorgeir and planned to live out my days in the archipelago. But now Thorgeir was killed by the Nilfgaardians, and even the castle has become a ruin."

Gerd raised his head. "If there is something I have now that I don't know it, it is the life of a witcher that I had abandoned but now have to pick up again."

"You are going to rebuild the witcher cult in Cintra, right? Then I will dedicate my entire future witcher life to you, Lann."

"Because of the Law of Surprise, I will fight for you for the rest of my life, bound by fate. If I have second thoughts, fate will punish me. But I have one condition." Gede stood up, and the scars on his body seemed to come alive and flowed on his knotted muscles. "After joining the cult, I will not only be responsible for the activities of the demon hunters. I will also participate in the subsequent Cintra Restoration War and the counterattack against Nilfgaard."

"Will you promise, Lan?"

Can this be considered a condition?

Lann extended his hand toward Gede solemnly: "This is exactly what I expected."

"Welcome to join us, Witcher Gerd."

…

For everyone on the mainland, the law of accidents is an iron law that cannot be violated.

History has also proven that everyone who violates the law of accidents will be punished by fate, from individuals to families, and even countries.

Lann didn't understand why Gede wanted to join the Demon Hunter Order in this way and tie himself to Cintra's chariot. Under the supervision of the Law of Accidents, he would fight for Lann's Demon Hunter Order for the rest of his life and would never be able to seek the so-called "retirement".

He originally wanted Gede to take back his promise and tell him that he could serve as a comrade and a brother to build the cult together.

But when Lann saw Gerd's depressed eyes, he inexplicably thought of Easter. If you try to shake such a man's determination to take revenge, no one would expect what he would do next.

Bran and Lann still wonder whether the sea knights, blinded by the fire of revenge, would have entered the mountains of Udvik alone and never come out again if the Vilkers had not shown up and they had not supported Easter's plan to hunt the ice giants.

So Lan finally extended a welcoming hand to Gede.

The future Demon Hunter Cult will also have a demon hunter of legendary strength, the hardest shield, and the heaviest sword.

Lann was also confident that he could control Gede's fire of revenge, allowing him to destroy his enemies to his heart's content without burning himself.

…

On Little Skellige Island, in the Tursek family castle, the people of Cintra began to pack their luggage and dress in an orderly manner. Easter successfully ascended the throne, and the Skellige people were excited and promised to fully support the fight against Nilfgaard. Lann and his party had completed their mission beyond expectations.

Although there were many twists and turns in the process, these twists and turns brought Lann greater gains.

Everyone was happy—except Ciri.

The little girl was standing in the middle of the hall with her hands on her hips, her cheeks puffed up like a hamster.

"Lane, is this the female Night Demon they were talking about? Are you going to take her back to Cintra?"

Ciri shouted without hesitation, and her voice was probably heard by the entire floor of the castle. The servants who were carrying the luggage lowered their heads hurriedly, and the objects in their hands seemed to become extremely heavy all of a sudden, causing them to slow down their steps involuntarily.

Kolgrim and Cohen sat in the corner, glancing at the people present with a look that said "As expected of Lann", while filling up their own glasses - Skellige's wine tasted really good!

Yes, the female night demon Nanomi is also in the house at this moment.

But Nanomi didn't care much about Ciri's hostility. Instead, her face was full of surprise.

This is another Ancient Blood!

For the female night demon who joined Lann's army in order to survive, Ciri's appearance is almost equivalent to doubling her chance of survival. How can she not be happy?

As for Ciri's rejection of her at this time, the female night demon said that this was not a problem. Her race was best at gaining the favor of others - regardless of gender.

“Hello, Princess Cirilla, right? I am Nanomi Vera love Timitin.” The female night demon showed the most appropriate smile, and she even bent down to take care of the young and short Cirilla.

In order to get deeper into human civilization, the female night demon has wrapped her naked upper body with cloth strips at Lan's strong request.

But the style of the female night demon... those who know it all know it, and can only say that it is better not to wear it. At this moment, she is like having an extra piece of equipment that increases attack speed and critical strike - it is just a property bonus for others.

The demon hunters watching were all staring at him. Geralt suddenly felt a chill on his back, and he knew without thinking that this piercing gaze came from Yennefer.

A blush crept up Ciri's cheeks, and she took three steps back, unable to resist. No matter the palace courses, the witcher training, or Yennefer's teachings, they didn't tell her how to deal with such a woman in front of her. Her deliberately stern face completely collapsed at this moment, and even the draft of the accountability speech she had prepared before became hesitant.

[What a vile body this is, what a despicable method this is! ] Ciri screamed in her heart.

There was no way to continue the conversation with the female night demon. Ciri could only change her expression, wave her griffin cloak, then trot over to grab Lann's big griffin cloak and start blinking her big eyes.

"Ran, are you going to take her back to Cintra?"

Lan En just felt like his head was about to explode.

"Nanomi's nature... is actually very similar to my 'lion group'. You should have learned similar knowledge in Kaer Morhen. The female night demons have strong physical strength and excellent spellcasting ability. Moreover, they have a lifespan of a thousand years and know a lot of knowledge..."

"Heh." Yennefer, who was watching, sneered.

"My purpose is not what you think... Even if I have that consideration, it is not for myself. It is for Eskar, you know..."

"Heh"＊3, Geralt, Kolgrim, and Cohen all sneered.

…

The female night demon shrugged helplessly. Looking around at the warlocks and demon hunters in the room, she knew that although these people were acting very out of control at the moment because of their racial charm, when they really got into battle, they would be able to chop off their beautiful heads without hesitation.

Under normal circumstances, she would rather go to the side of the ice giant than enter this house, but ever since she met the golden-haired son of the ancient bloodline, she inexplicably trusted him, and in order to avoid the disaster of the intersection of the celestial spheres and the eventual coming of the white frost, she had to follow the son of the ancient bloodline.

I just didn’t expect that there is another Ancient Blood now. Although it is a surprise, it seems that it will take some time to gain the other party’s trust.

The chaos and irrelevant topics in the room continued for a while, and finally ended with a long sigh of relief.

The person who made the sound was Alice. The soul in the painting with a cool temperament had been sitting quietly in the corner of the hall painting on her own drawing board. The emotions and topics of other people in the hall could not disturb her at all.

When a person who is usually very cold and taciturn, but who is particularly likable, suddenly speaks, no matter what topic is being discussed at the moment, it will stop and everyone's attention will be attracted.

Alice looked at her drawing board with satisfaction through the black veil. On it was a scene of Easter's coronation. She lightly touched the board with her slender fingers, and a bright emerald flame suddenly ignited on it. The paper and cloth were not damaged at all, and the originally wet paint dried in an instant.

"It's done. Seven paintings, one for each of the seven families."

Everyone in the room gathered around and praised the painting. Even Yennefer, who was once a royal advisor to the Kingdom of Aedirn, admired Alice's painting skills from the bottom of her heart. This level of work is enough to be a high-end collection to be hung in the king's living room to show off to all the nobles.

Alice chose different themes for each family in the archipelago. For example, the one for Lord Dona was a copy of the scenery of Freya Temple and the surrounding woods, and the one for Kratz was a battle scene when his two children fought against the Siren.

"Thank you for your hard work, Alice." Lann thanked her sincerely, and then hurriedly called the servants to frame the works with the frames that had been prepared long ago. In the eyes of the souls in the paintings, he said, "We are about to set off, and I have to hurry to give these gifts to the clan leaders."

Then he rushed out of the house with his servants, leaving the group of people inside staring at each other in amazement.

Ciri wrinkled her nose and looked at the female night demon Nanomi, who responded with a racial smile.

…

Little Skellig Island, by the sea.

Large barrels of fresh water, pickled vegetables, and other cargo were brought on board, and then skilled sailors went on deck to check the sails and equipment.

"Kratz, are you ready to go out to sea so soon?"

The man whom the Nilfgaardians feared as "the Boar of the Sea" turned around when he heard the greeting, laughed and hugged the Lion of Cintra.

"I know you're in a hurry, Lan. But I'm sorry, this is just a shipload of supplies." Kratz patted Lan's shoulder. "Other families have only prepared cross-island support, and going to Cintra requires more complete logistics. The sea is a long way, and we still need some time to prepare."

Lann nodded in understanding: "What about this ship of supplies?"

Kratz smiled and said, "Of course it's for you. Although we can't get there for the time being, we can provide some urgently needed supplies, craftsmen, and manpower. This batch of ships is also given to you directly. I hope it can help Cintra alleviate its urgent needs."

All I can say is that at critical moments, the old relatives in the archipelago are still reliable.

Although Lann now has the money to purchase resources from other countries, the wrangling in the process is extremely annoying; and compared with craftsmen, the importance of materials has to be put aside for the time being.

When Cintra was broken, almost all the royal craftsmen were unable to escape. Although the old butler Ens transferred a group of them to the territory of Lann in advance with the tacit consent of Queen Calanthe, it was still a drop in the bucket compared to the standard of launching a war of restoration and rebuilding the country. Ens and Mossak were almost worried to death.

"That's a great help, Kratz." Lane exclaimed sincerely.

He raised his head and saw a blonde girl on the deck ordering the sailors to carry forging equipment to the deck. Her clothes were embroidered with the flaming hammer emblem of the Todaloch family.

Lann was stunned, and Kratz laughed even louder: "You read it right, that's Yuna. She took the initiative to apply to be the chief craftsman supporting Cintra this time. I heard that there are few female craftsmen on the continent, but don't underestimate her. She has learned all the forging skills of Todaloch, and she just needs some experience."

And war is the best training, even for craftsmen.

Lann pondered for a moment, and thought that this was a good thing, so the smile on his face became even more wanton.

…

Kratz put his arm around Lann's shoulder, and carefully learned about Cintra's situation, especially Ciri's. After a long while, he sighed.

"Lane, you must take good care of Ciri... This child has had a tragic life. Her parents died because of me when she was young, and when she grew up, the queen died for Nilfgaard. Fortunately, you are here now."

"I once swore in front of the Queen that I would sacrifice my life to protect Ciri. This is the oath of the islanders. If there is anything you need me to do, just tell me!"

Looking at Kratz's sincere face, although Lann was happy to get support, he suddenly fell silent and couldn't speak.

Kratz was truly sincere to Ciri and Lan, and the help he provided far exceeded the so-called "oath". Lan believed that even without the constraints of the oath, he was willing to give everything to protect Ciri - this was also verified in the game of the previous life.

When you are weak, such a person can be your most steadfast support; when you become strong, such a person will be your most loyal ally.

But Lann also knew that every time Kratz looked at Ciri lovingly, he was actually suffering in his heart. Lann didn't want such a righteous man to be burdened by his guilt.

So he decided to help Kratz break free from his shackles.