The Three Crows Tavern.

Citizens who had finished their work, soldiers at leisure, wandering travelers, and merchants taking a break, all held up their glasses and drank happily in their respective seats.

The wandering bard sat on a high platform in the middle of the tavern, playing his beloved lute.

His fingers stroked lightly, and the notes flowed through his fingertips:

"The forest is vast, enveloping Brokilon.

It curses the human dwelling place and devours the princess's way home.

I heard the dryads shouting 'leave'.

After dawn, the lions arrived one after another.

He comes to the north in the morning light.

The long sword cuts through the dawn, and the golden hair flutters like the wind.

When everything began, prayers echoed in the woods.

Destiny intersects, despising the starlight.

I heard the dryads shouting 'leave'.

After dawn, the lions arrived one after another.

He followed the princess's footsteps and entered the pool alone.

The long sword pierced the silver eyes and the golden hair fluttered like the wind.

When everything began, prayers echoed in the woods.

Fate intersects, despising the starlight..."

The bards sang leisurely, and the tavern was not lively enough before nightfall, which was a perfect time to sing such lyrical poems.

While listening to this music, several soldiers wearing city guard armor sitting in the front seemed to be treating it as a snack, drinking one cup after another.

Wait until the minstrel finishes singing and bows. A soldier shouts:

"A glass of stout for our bard, in honor of our Lord Lannister!"

The city guards raised their glasses, and the people in the tavern responded:

"To Lord Lannister!"

"Cheers to the lion-like warriors!"

"Cheers to the pride of our Cintra!"

Various wine glasses clinked, various liquors were splashed, and the tavern owner was smiling happily.

After a few drinks, discussions began to circulate in the bar.

"Thanks to Lord Lannister, otherwise Princess Cirilla would never have come back."

"Alas, it's a pity for the alliance with Viden. Nilfgaard is getting closer and closer, and now we have lost their support..."

It seemed that one of the soldiers was upset and he smashed his wine glass and jumped onto the table.

"Who is talking nonsense? Her Majesty the Queen has already issued a notice. Weiden has been harboring evil intentions for a long time! Besides, what is Nilfgaard? Our Cintra soldiers can fight ten of them at once!"

The soldiers were jumping up and down, and there were also travelers passing by who were negotiating with each other.

"Nilfgaard has already annexed Ebin, Mecht, and Nasir. Will Cintra be next?"

"How could that be? Although Cintra is not a big country, it is still much stronger than other small countries. There is also the Amel Mountains between them. What does Nilfgaard want by attacking them?"

"Just wait and see. With Temeria, Redania, Kaedwen, Aedirn and other powerful northern countries around, Nilfgaard won't dare to really invade the northern kingdoms."

"Even if Cintra is gone, there are still so many countries in the north. Without Cintra, maybe we can make more..."

The businessman was showing off his knowledge when a wine glass was thrown at him, knocking the talkative businessman dizzy.

When the merchant recovered and was about to start cursing, several soldiers had already surrounded him.

"What do you mean, huh?" The soldier grabbed the merchant by the collar and pressed his fist against his nose. "Are you saying that Cintra is not as good as Temeria, Redania, Kaedwen, and Aedirn? What great powers are they? They are all idiots!"

The soldier punched the merchant in the face, turned around, and spit out alcohol with a red face:

"We in Cintra have Her Majesty the Queen Lioness, His Majesty King Easter from Skellige, the invincible Marshal Visegid, and the new lion, Lord Lannister. Who can defeat us? Who can!"

The door of the tavern was flung open, and the knight with the lion emblem stepped through the door.

Behind him was a silver-haired demon hunter with two swords on his back, and behind him were three servants in different costumes.

People's eyes lit up as they saw the living Lord Lannister.

Because of Lann's previous map clearing mission, he had always had a good reputation among the people. At this moment, all kinds of drinking buddies stood up and cheered, toasting to celebrate the Earl's completion of a battle that was worthy of being compiled into poetry.

Only the few soldiers who had supported Cintra the most just now looked embarrassed. The leader let go of the bruised merchant and tried to block the merchant with a few companions.

Lann casually took the glass handed over by a customer, clinked glasses with all the hands extended to toast, and drank as he walked. When he reached the bar, the wine was almost empty.

He pointed to the table of citizens who had handed him a glass of wine and said to the tavern owner, "Give everyone at that table a glass of Vizima Champion."

The boss nodded in agreement.

Lann then turned to the city guards who had unnatural expressions.

"My Lord."

The soldiers greeted Lan.

Lan asked, "What's going on?"

Several city guards pushed each other's arms, and finally the leader said, "He... they said we can't beat Nilfgaard... and they also said that they can make more money if Cintra is destroyed."

The businessmen were silent.

Lan narrowed his eyes and said to the bar owner: "Give him a drink as an apology."

Within two breaths, a large glass of dark beer was slapped in front of the businessman by the boss.

The businessman raised the wine glass reluctantly, not daring to look Lan in the eye. He put his mouth to the mouth of the wine glass, wanting to drink but not daring to.

Lann reached out to hold the bottom of the cup and raised it up, saying, "Drink."

The businessman sipped.

Lan's hand still held the wine glass.

But he raised his hand higher and higher, and the merchant drank faster and faster, and soon choked. He had to cough while drinking. Then the wine, which was full of malt aroma, spurted out and soaked his entire lapels and collar.

Lan grabbed the bottom of the cup with one hand and tilted the cup downward.

"Done?"

The businessman nodded.

Lan nodded as well, turning around with his empty glass.

"My soldier just beat up a friend who came from a foreign country. This is wrong, so my soldier apologized to him. But I want to know what this friend said. Who can tell me?"

Everyone in the bar had playful expressions.

The owner of the blacksmith shop, who was drinking, shouted first: "He said Cintra couldn't beat the Nilfgaardians, bullshit! The soldier got there first, or I would have kicked my new greaves into his ass!"

Then a citizen who came to rest said: "My Lord Count, I heard him say that it doesn't matter if Cintra is destroyed, he can make more money in other northern countries!"

The poet at the center of the tavern gently plucked the lute: "The owner of the carriage was afraid of the iron cavalry of the sun wheel, and spoke rudely in the tavern. He had the pearl of the north in his mouth but had no respect, and the soldier's iron fist struck out to uphold justice."

"Very good." Lan nodded. "Then the situation is clear."

Lann turned around and smashed the wooden wine glass on the merchant's head.