Baron Visserard wore an exaggerated wide-brimmed hat with a huge harpy feather hanging from the top; a mink cape on his shoulders, a shirt embroidered with exquisite silk patterns, and huge agates on the thumbs and index fingers of both hands.
This outfit formed a sharp contrast with the barony around it, which was so poor that it was called the "Crow's Nest".
You can basically see the other person's quality.
Lord Vetherad's voice and accent were as exaggerated as his clothes.
The baron's guards he brought with him were easily knocked to the ground by the Blue Guards, but these special forces did not dare to make any moves against the baron easily.
Obviously this was not the first time Baron Vetherad had done this. Every time he was able to move freely among the soldiers by relying on his identity.
The only one who needed his attention in this army was Roche. Although he was just a peasant, he was still a close minister of the king.
But this time, there was no embarrassment on the faces of the Blue Guards. Instead, they watched Visserad break into Roche's tent with a mocking smile.
"Vernon Roche, take your people and get out of my territory!"
"I heard you brought a sorceress with you? Those freaks who play with magic should be hanged together with the filthy monsters!"
Even one more sorceress is nothing to a baron.
But unexpectedly, when the baron opened the tent as he did in the previous times, the person who appeared before him was not the homeless man who was lucky enough to be promoted because of the king's favor.
Nor was she the pretty sorceress who was rumored to be able to manipulate herbs and the human body.
"Veserad, Baron?" Lann turned around, his dark golden lion eyes without a trace of emotion.
Lord Vetherad froze.
He knew who the man in front of him was, and he even collected a Gwent card with the man in front of him as a model. Whenever there was a party, he would take out the collection card and show it off to his friends.
But when this person actually appeared before him, Baron Veserad was speechless.
"Lord Lannister?"
…
Lann glanced at Baron Visserad, without even saying a word, and raised his hand to strike out with the [Axis Seal].
The hazy ether element suddenly enveloped the baron's face, and before his arrogance could completely turn into astonishment, it was completely covered by confusion.
"We need a troop familiar with the terrain to help us explore the terrain of Velen, understand?"
"...Understood." Baron Vetherad replied in a daze.
"We also need you to issue a notice to let all villagers in the Weiren area cooperate with our actions. Do you understand?"
"...I understand." Baron Vetherad replied in a daze.
Not to mention Roche, even Keira was stunned to see how easily Lan made a baron obey his orders.
The methods used by female sorcerers are mostly seduction and temptation, but very few are able to achieve this level of hypnosis.
"What are you waiting for?" Lan said coldly.
Baron Veserad remained expressionless and turned to leave.
Lann shook his head and turned around, meeting Roche and Kayla's gaze.
Before he could continue discussing the plan, he suddenly thought of something.
"No...no, wait." Lann suddenly waved his hand to stop the other party.
"I have another question that I need you to answer carefully."
…
I don’t know when it started, but Roche and Kaila’s expressions started to turn angry.
They heard Baron Veselard shouting outside to concentrate the troops, and heard a burst of surprise and confusion, but Baron Veselard's answer just now echoed in their minds.
"I see, I see... No wonder he tried to obstruct me even though he knew I was following the king's orders!" Roche muttered to himself, "He is not just arrogant and stupid..."
The commander of the Blue Guards took a deep breath and calmed his pounding heart.
But thinking about what would happen next, Roche's lips curled up into a gloating smile.
"This is exactly the stupidest thing to do, and he will never have this opportunity again." Lann waved his hand and began to look at the map on the table again.
Roche nodded: "I will definitely report this matter to His Majesty the King. Even the title of Baron cannot save that guy!"
Lan did not agree with Roche's idea, but chuckled: "If everything goes well, he may not even be able to wait for the trial of King Foltestai."
Roche was slightly stunned, and immediately retorted subconsciously: "Duke Lannister, Viserad is also a baron of Temeria anyway!"
The implication is: You, Lord Lannister, are not qualified to judge him. If you act rashly, it will bring huge trouble to both Cintra and Temeria.
Even though Roche still retained his personal admiration for Lann in his eyes, his words still contained the protection of Visserad, or the legal principles of Temeria.
Lan shook his head and changed the subject without elaborating.
"Let your people come back and rest for a while. It will take some time for the locals in Weiren to gather information and come back. I have a more convenient way. Let's go scout first."
But Kayla became interested in Lan, as she didn't have many opportunities to be alone with Lan.
"Lord Lannister, did you use the witcher's 'sign' technique just now? Or is that the unique ability of your ancient blood? Can you..."
…
Lann's Axis seal lasted for a long time.
After the clerk had finished writing the notice, the herald had ridden away, and all the orders to Velen's guards had been distributed in an orderly manner -
Baron Visserard shuddered suddenly, and his eyes became clear again.
He glanced at his followers who were bowing their heads and waiting for orders. These people had almost no thoughts of their own without the hypnosis of magic signs. At this moment, they were still waiting mechanically and flatteringly for the baron to give them orders.
The baron screamed "Ah" and kicked his follower away in fear and anger.
"What just happened, and what did I tell Lannister?"
The Baron could feel that something was wrong with him, but he had no detailed memory of that time. He just felt confused and as if he was in a dream.
"Can anyone tell me what happened?!"
The servant who was kicked to the ground didn't even have time to rub his wounds. He turned over and got up from the ground skillfully.
"My lord, you have just issued a new decree, calling on all the people under your rule to cooperate with the actions of the Duke of Lannister, and..."
"Idiot, that's not it!" Baron Visserad kicked again, "Lannister did ask me questions during this time. What did he ask me? And what did I say?!"
This time the servant did not get up so quickly. He struggled for a while before answering incoherently:
"My lord, I... I don't know. I dare not listen to your conversation with Lord Lannister..."
"Then what use are you?!" Visserad was extremely angry.
"Lannister! Damn it! Lannister! Lannister!" The baron pounced on his squire, punching and kicking him like crazy.
"I used to collect your Gwent cards and praised you highly!"
"But now, you are using vile magic like a sorcerer and mixing with the peasants. You have brought disgrace upon yourself. I want to duel with you! I want to..."
“Ahh!”
…
The earth-shaking roar crushed Baron Visserad's roar, and the ancient monster that was like a fortress flapped its wings and soared into the sky.
Kertulis stretched his brick-red scales against the wind, glanced at the ground imperceptibly, flicked his tail, and disappeared from everyone's sight.
The Velen people widened their eyes, and some were so scared that they fell to the ground.
"Dragon, red dragon... The legend is true. Lord Lannister is not only a dragon slayer, but also a dragon rider..."
A glimmer of yearning flashed across the servant's eyes, but it was quickly suppressed. He turned to look for his baron, but found that Visserad was running towards his horse, with dust on his pants from the time he collapsed to the ground.
The baron ignored his subordinates' calls, glanced hurriedly in the direction the dragon was flying, and ran out.
"The dragon flew in the wrong direction... Yes, I certainly didn't say those important words to Lannister."
Cold sweat poured down my face, and the wind couldn't dry it away.
"There is still a chance, there is still a chance..."
…
When the horses began to pant, a small swamp appeared in front of them.
After passing the swamp, a desolate village appeared in front of us.
——It’s not even worth calling it a village. It’s just four or five rickety wooden houses, and no one has lived in them for a long time.
But among these shabby wooden houses, there is an exceptionally neat villa that looks like a church. Creepers, vines, and other parasitic plants cling densely to its surface, as if extending from it to absorb the energy of other houses.
Baron Vetherad took a deep breath. He looked up and saw that the sun was about to set.
He did not encounter any monsters that haunted Velen along the way. Water ghosts, ghouls, and swamp witches all avoided him.
He knew why.
A burning pain came from his hand, and a strange rune flashed in the palm of Baron Jue.
"Ah, damn it!" Visserad screamed in pain. The next second, the wooden church's locked door slowly opened under the control of an invisible force.
"Crack—" a long and drawn-out sound was heard.
Such a remote place, such a dilapidated environment, and the presence of a building called "church" which doesn't sound very good, no matter what happens next, it should be suitable for writing into a ghost story.
But there was an obsession in Baron Visserard's eyes.
He shook his aching palm and walked quickly into the church. Countless half-burned candles were relit as he walked. The dim candlelight illuminated the quiet church, and every ray of light seemed to have prying eyes.
Baron Vetherad ignored the blurry vision in the hall. He walked quickly to the end of the hall according to his memory, and a painting came into his sight.
Looking at the painting, the obsession in the baron's eyes became even more intense.
There were three graceful women in the painting, with mysterious temperaments and graceful postures. Their bodies were barely covered by leaves and hair, and large areas of gray skin were outlined with naked lines.
If Lann was present, he would be able to tell that these three sisters were the three people he saw in his dream.
In the picture, their bodies are not covered much, but they are wearing a lot of decorations such as wreaths, necklaces, and rings; the one standing in the center of the three is holding a basket filled with flowers and berries symbolizing a good harvest, which she shares with the other two sisters.
Baron Vetherad looked at the juice flowing from the lips of the three sisters in the scroll and stared at their figures with fascination, wishing that it was himself who was chewing in those little cherry mouths.
His breathing became heavier and heavier, and he couldn't help but touch the hair of the woman in the painting - the material was actually real human hair.
"You're here again?"
An ethereal voice suddenly sounded, as if it was echoing from across a distant cave.
"It's not time for sacrifice yet, little baron." The voice was beautiful, but the words were light. Even the corners of the woman's mouth on the scroll were slightly raised, as if she was looking at Visserad.
"Or do you want some other reward?"
Baron Veserad swallowed hard, shook his head, and suddenly began waving his hands excitedly.
"Lady of the Woods, Foltestai's attack is coming!"
"We know. You told us." Another voice sounded. This voice was smoother, like nectar that was squeezed even though it was known to be exhausted. "Didn't I tell you to delay for a few more days? Just wait until we are ready. Even if all the guards from the entire Weiren Province come here, they will only become fertilizer for the swamp..."
"No, no, this time is different." Lord Vetherad said anxiously, "This time it's a Lannister! Lann Lannister Rhaanron of Cintra! He's coming!"
The candlelight in the hall suddenly stopped flickering.
The light dimmed more than a degree in an instant.
"Lei Anlun?" A third voice sounded, this voice was hoarser and more itchy, like sharp nails scratching your belly button.
She repeated it.
Then, three voices sounded like a trio.
"Lei Anlun?!"
Lord Veserad nodded hastily.
"Yes, Lady of the Woods. Lann Lannister Rhaanron! The Lion of Cintra!"
The candlelight in the hall, which had originally dimmed, reignited with greater intensity, quickly burning out the beeswax, but still continuing to burn hanging on the empty candlestick.
"Very good, you did a good job, little baron." The greasy voice sounded, "This news comes at the right time."
"What reward do you want? A good harvest from your own garden? Fattening cattle and sheep? Or... um?" The tone of voice rose slightly at the end.
Lord Veserad's breathing quickened.
"I would like to ask the three ladies to grant me another dream..." As expected, he showed reverence and couldn't help but stroke the hair of the three sisters in the painting, "Another... dream of entering the painting."
There was a light laugh in the air, and the three sisters seemed very happy to hear this request.
"Again? You are very greedy, little baron," said the greasy voice.
"In that case, this time, we decided to let your dream last longer." Another hoarse voice continued.
"And this time, there are three of us together, hey..." The last voice ended in a low voice.
Baron Vetherad was delighted: "Thank you for the kindness of the Lady of the Forest, thank you..."
Before he could finish his words, the ground beneath his feet suddenly collapsed with the sound of mechanisms and magic.
The Baron did not fall into a sweet dream as usual. Instead, he let out a short scream and rolled all the way down the tunnel. Before he reached the bottom, he was knocked unconscious by the rocks along the way.
At the end of the tunnel, three figures, some huge, some skinny, and some twisted, had been waiting for a long time, drooling uncontrollably.