From Witcher to Lord of the Empire

Hearing Geralt ask about the origin of the special forces she was in, Layla puffed out her chest, as if she felt that her work was something to be proud of that attracted Geralt's attention.

However, Herilera is a qualified soldier after all, so she quickly regained some sense, and answered Geralt after thinking for a while: "The Scoia'tael originated from Kaedwen's brutal oppression of non-human races, and now it is in Nigeria. Fugard's behind-the-scenes push has spread to Aedirn and Temeria."

"Many greedy non-human races were obviously not recruited by the Scoia'tael guerrillas, but they claimed to be Scoia'tael to rob their homes, and some humans also used the slogan of cleaning up the Scoia'tael to persecute the civilians of non-human races. The situation is so bad The degree to which it must be stopped is why our special force was established."

In the history that Lane knew, the Scoia'tael scourge would sweep across the entire northern border in a few years, and it would be out of control.

Humans kill non-human races, non-human races take revenge on humans, and then humans take revenge on non-human races. Too many people who could have stayed out of the matter were dragged in by knives and swords, and too many children and old people who should not have taken up arms were forced to Expose to iron and iron rides.

And the most important thing for the demon hunter group is that extreme racists will hate any existence that is even slightly different from humans, even if those differences are acquired - such as warlocks who can use spells that ordinary people cannot master , or a demon hunter whose appearance has changed due to an alchemy mutation.

Geralt did not have such forward vision, but his keen intuition, ample experience, and the history in books told him that any conflict that rises to the level of race will become irreconcilable, and the animal nature in people's hearts will also be eliminated during this process. Get the most thorough and ultimate liberation.

Judging from Leila's description of Aden's situation, some people's animal nature has begun to be released, but this is far from complete.

[If the Scoia'tael is out of control, perhaps the future Sintra will not be able to stay out of it... No, it is absolutely impossible to stay out of it. 】

Geralt loves Cintra, and the people of Cintra. As soon as he thought of this, he couldn't help showing a worried look.

...

Geralt was expressionless, but the atmosphere around him had subsided.

Leila seemed to have a sense of it, and after hesitating for a moment, she suddenly changed the subject and said to Geralt, "You know I was originally from Lyria. But I'm still...a quarter-elf, Because my mother was a half-elf. I heard Lady Yennefer was of similar blood to mine?"

Yennefer's mother was also a half-elf, and she herself was a half-elf half-blood.

"Quarter-elf" is a poetic lineage, because there have been many capable people of quarter-elf blood in history. They have either made great contributions or set off a bloodbath.

Therefore, there have been rumors in the folks: people with a quarter of elf blood will not be ordinary people-and from a statistical point of view, a quarter of elves have a greater chance of being a devil.

Although from the perspective of academic inquiry, this is a kind of survivor bias. It is not known how many people died in obscurity with a quarter of elf blood. But the rascals would even believe the words "demon hunters like to eat children", so naturally they would not have the precious ability of "independent thinking".

In some regions, people are hostile to quarter elves even more than monsters; if Scoia'tael is still prevalent in that place, people of quarter elf blood will become wrong even to breathe.

"In the early years, countries such as Sintra and Temeria may not have known Scoia'tael, but these killers have been prevalent in the east of the northern border for a long time, and their reputation is also very famous." Layla lowered her head, " As a child I was often bullied for being called a 'little squirrel', which is why I came to Aedirn."

"I hate those villagers, and even more I hate the Scoia'tael who caused me to suffer indiscriminately. But I will not kill all non-human races, because I am barely one of them."

Seeing Geralt's eyes, Layla explained: "Aarden's strategy is the same. The establishment of special forces is not to suppress all non-human races. On the contrary, we are to screen and eliminate those real Scoia'tael, To protect those non-human races who have settled down and integrated into society."

Leila pointed to Yarpan who was leading the way: "For example, them."

The dwarf team back home was extremely excited. After going through the dwarf folk songs one by one, they began to sing the newly learned Sintra ballads. There were even some sentences praising the Sintra lions, which attracted Lane in awe. From time to time, the front of the line stopped them loudly.

It looks like the dwarves are having a good time in Cintra.

...

Geralt nodded silently in his heart. It seemed that Aedirn's rejection of non-human races hadn't reached the point of being indiscriminate.

It's just that I don't know how long this situation will last before it continues to deteriorate, whether Lane has a plan to deal with it, and whether the current situation will affect Lane's plans.

Of course, these are not things that Geralt has to think about and have enough brains to think about. He only needs to recount the collected information to Lane.

The topic of Scoia'tael came to an end, and then White Wolf looked at Layla's left hand, where she wore the lead ring given by Demavitto.

As the only member of Aedirn in the team, she should keep the king's belongings.

Geralt took advantage of the opportunity to start the second topic: "May I ask why His Majesty Demavi has this ring?"

"Of course, it's not a secret." As for things that don't involve state secrets, Leila can say that she knows everything about White Wolf at this time, and it's not impossible to even reveal any secrets inadvertently.

"It's a coincidence that Your Majesty was able to obtain this ring," Leila sighed, "You may know that the Mahakam Mountains are actually the territory of Temeria in legal terms, but the dwarves have always exercised a high degree of autonomy. Until a certain One day King Fultestay thought he should start collecting taxes from the dwarves, so he sent tax collectors to Mahakam."

"I guess the process must not be smooth?"

"You have keen insight." Layla chuckled, "The dwarf with a burst personality thought he had been insulted, so he put the tax collector in a wooden barrel and threw him down from the top of the mountain. King Folterstad was furious , immediately decided to send troops to attack Mahakam."

Geralt nodded thoughtfully. He had participated in the Northern Territory Conference with Lane back then, and at that time he felt that Fultesty's malice towards non-human races was a little bit too strong, even surpassing that of Demavi, who was famous for his cruelty among the aristocracy. Second only to Kaedwin's Henselt.

Now he understands why.

"I guess His Majesty Demavi helped the dwarves?"

"Yes." Leila affirmed, "Your Majesty persuaded King Foltestai to give up the idea of ​​sending troops. The elder of the dwarves therefore gave His Majesty a lead ring as a symbol of friendship."

Geralt nodded knowingly, and sighed: "I heard that Mahakam is extremely xenophobic, and now I realize that they don't completely respect human beings at all. It turns out that they will also give friendship to human beings who have favored them."

But he heard Layla chuckle lightly, causing Geralt to turn his head suspiciously.

"Sorry, Mr. Geralt, I'm sorry." Layla explained, "But in fact, it was not Mahakam who was favored by His Majesty, but Temeria. When you see the gathering place of dwarves, you will see Now that we know it, it is definitely not a city that can be captured by manpower. If Temeria really raises troops to this point, it will only lose troops and generals, and the national strength will be greatly reduced."

Geralt frowned, only feeling that the logic inside was a bit confused: "If that's the case, why did the Grand Elder give His Majesty Demavi a lead ring?"

"Because there are a large number of dwarves living in Temeria, if Temeria's army fails to return in Mahakam, then these dwarves will definitely be angered. And..." Leila said after a long silence, " I really don't want to say this, but Brovar Hogg is very cunning, he seems to be more proficient in politics than most of his majesties in the northern border, and he gave his majesty the lead ring, which also has many other benefits for him."

"In a while, I also hope that you can remind Duke Lannister in time, so that he must not be fooled by the stereotype of dwarves, and must be careful when negotiating."

Although dwarves are mostly loyal, honest, and straight-hearted in the human impression, no race has the same personality. Yennefer's funds were fully managed by a dwarf banker. Geralt had met him a few times, and he only felt that the dwarf was more calculating than most of the merchants he had met.

Geralt nodded knowingly, the questions to be asked were almost done. He is not a talkative person, and the atmosphere suddenly fell silent.

At this moment, Yarpan's team changed another ballad, this time praising the touching story between the Lion Knight and Princess Sirila. Come back and teach him.

According to Zoltan, this is the latest repertoire of a troupe called "Fox" near Novigrad Square.

Regarding the singing of the dwarves, Lan may also feel that he can't stop the dwarves, and has let it go.

But Yarpen's singing stopped soon, and changed to cheers of surprise.

This shocked others who were out of breath from climbing.

Along the steep mountain road, among the snow-capped peaks, a figure more substantial than rocks was waiting for them.

...

Standing between the peaks is a dwarf, apparently contacted by Yarpan in advance.

The moment he saw the other party, Yarpan's singing suddenly stopped, and then he burst out into a louder laugh, and hugged the dwarf heavily.

"Gabo, my cousin, long time no see, I'm back!"

"Your roar is still so ugly, Yarpan, can that be considered a song?"

The dwarf's voice was calmer and more powerful than that of Yarpen's. Compared with Yarpan who is a mercenary, although he also has the roughness and boldness of a dwarf, he is much more polite in comparison.

Soon he saw the team behind, and his eyes sharply locked on Lane who was at the front.

"You must be the well-known lion of Cintra—the Duke of Lannister. I am Gabor Ziglin, the diplomat who came to greet you this time, and the Great Elder has been waiting for you for a long time."

Lan returned the salute to Gabor politely, then eyed the dwarf.

He was wearing a gray-black iron armor and a fur coat with a white collar and fur. He looked as stable as a rock, and people couldn't help but feel trust.

He and Yarpen both had the same surname—Zigrin, a great clan among the dwarves. According to Yarpen, Gabor himself is also well-known among the dwarves, so he is often sent to meet diplomatic dignitaries.

Although because of Mahakam's xenophobic policy, Gabo may not conduct a diplomatic mission for several years.

"Leyla, long time no see." After a brief exchange of greetings with Lan, Gabo saw Aden's messenger behind him, "It seems that His Majesty Demavi hasn't sent us a messenger to say that he wants to visit."

"I came with the Duke of Lannister on this trip as a guide." Layla explained, then raised her left hand, "I brought this."

The jewelry that symbolized the friendship between Aden and Mahakam was displayed in front of Gabo.

"Lead ring..." Gabo muttered in a low voice, "Ordinary people can use this to meet the Great Elder, but Duke Lannister may not need this at all."

He muttered in a low voice and was swept away in the cold wind of the snow mountain, so Leila couldn't hear him clearly. But Lan En, who was not far away, knew it clearly, and couldn't help smiling.

It seems that the effect of those lost equipment blueprints is good.

...

After a brief exchange of greetings, Gabo looked around the back of the team, as if he was looking for something, and after a few seconds, he turned to Yarpan and asked with some disappointment: "Did Zoltan not come back?"

Yarpan waved his hand nonchalantly: "He said he was just climbing the mountain, and he still couldn't see his family after all, so it might as well not come here—he is just such an awkward person."

The dwarves are a rather closed race, and they value tradition. The current Grand Elder, Brovar Hogg, has ruled the dwarves for two hundred years, almost like a patriarch, he stipulates the daily action program of the dwarves, stipulating what a dwarf cannot do and what must be done.

Zoltan complained more than once while drinking in Cintra:

"There is no freedom at all in Mahakam. You have no idea how that old bastard runs things. He recently started to make so-called 'community norms': whether you can wear braces, for example; Waiting five minutes for soup to cool before eating; having to work for twenty years before submitting an application to marry a wife; having to wipe your butt with your right hand after going to the toilet; not whistling until twenty yards from a mineshaft..."

And the most unbearable thing for those dwarves who love freedom is the "collective labor" system.

Each of the dwarves has to work in the mine for more than 40 years. The reward for work is a token called "punch gold", which can only be circulated within Mahakam. Six large boxes of punching gold were used to exchange outside currency, but only a small bag of gold was exchanged. It is said that the elders of the dwarves established this system to make life difficult for the dwarves to go out, so as to dissuade them from leaving Mahakam.

As a result, many dwarves who are really capable will choose to leave Mahakam, such as Yarpan's dragon slaying team, or traders like Zoltan, as well as various dwarf craftsmen and dwarf bankers.

...

"Aren't you afraid that the true elite of the dwarves will run away if you do this?" Colgrim asked in amazement. He asked himself that there is no way to live in such a place.

Gabo shook his head and explained: "The dwarves will choose to go down the mountain to practice after they become adults. At this time, they will have a chance to choose: either return to Mahakam within the specified time and never go out again; or stay outside Mahakam from now on. , and never come back.”

Regarding the tradition of the dwarves, Gabo has explained to the guests who visited Mahakam more than once, and he is always sincere and never tired of it.

"I am the dwarf who chooses to return to Mahakam after training outside. I used to scold the elders loudly after drinking, but after I saw the living conditions of the dwarves outside, I found that I gradually understood him. So I chose to return to Mahakam to contribute my strength to my hometown."

"Of course, I also respect other people's choices. Mahakam also needs excellent compatriots to bring the voice of dwarves to the world." Gabo looked at Yarpan. The members of the dragon slaying team chose not to return to Mahakam for life dwarves.

The famous Yarpen Squad was also the best of all dwarves out there. Their feat of slaying dragons has long been woven into poetry, and they will continue to have their own legends for the foreseeable future.

During the conversation, everyone had already crossed the mountainside, and a tavern appeared in front of them, as well as a dozen cabins and tents built around the tavern. Obviously, this was a gathering place during the journey.

The dwarves of Mahakam often need to cross mountains and mountains for their work, and this is one of the places where they rest.

"I'll just walk here, Lane, and then Gabo will take you to see the Great Elder." Yarpan said, "According to tradition, I will never be able to enter Mahakam in this life. Those old stubborn people will probably call me a 'traitor' and pour wine on me when they see it."

Yarpan said helpless words, but he still laughed loudly on his face: "I'll just drink a few glasses of the long-lost Mahakam beer here, and I also made an appointment with my family to have dinner here today. It's been a long time I’m looking forward to seeing them.”

Lan nodded knowingly, facing Mahakam's traditional questions, he couldn't say much. If at this time, he took up the airs of the Duke of Sintra to "protect" Yarpan and let him enter Mahakam, not to mention that he might hate the elders who have not met yet, and even Yarpan himself might feel uncomfortable.

So Lan just put his left hand into the cloak to make a money bag: "It's always fun to reunite with your family after a long absence. Is there enough money?"

"Haha, that must never be enough!"

The dwarf laughed and took the money bag thrown in the air, feeling the weight in his hand, his smile became more wanton.

As I said before, the exchange rate between tokens among the dwarves and outside coins is very low. The bag of krona given by Lane can make a whole team drink happily all night outside. In Mahakam, it is almost Enough to buy the entire tavern.

A mercenary like Yarpan, who is currently drunk and drunk, has no savings, and Lan can be said to have helped him a lot. Especially today is a family gathering, enough for him to make a good face in front of his own family.

The excited dwarf slammed his back on the trap door of the tavern, and the noise and the intoxicating aroma of his hometown wine immediately poured into Yarpen's nostrils. He turned and bid farewell:

"Then we'll see you in a few days, Lane!"

The unique noise in the tavern swept from behind Yarpen, and the sound of his farewell was also transmitted into the tavern.

"Lan?" Someone in the tavern looked up with a feeling.

Before Yarpan, the captain of the dragon slaying team, entered the tavern, his body was suddenly knocked open like a leaf.

A tall figure rushed out from inside.

"Blonde hair! Lion pupils! Great griffin cape! You are Lann Lannister Ray Allen!"