The Witcher: Lord of the Empire

[Character level increased +1]

The next morning, the system notification woke Lann from his sleep. He looked out the window and saw the light of dawn; the sorceress was sleeping soundly beside him.

Shifting himself a bit so that the sleep-talking Triss rested better on his arm, Lann opened the system panel to check on the status of his followers.

First, images of Black Wind, the newly hired trolls, and Iris appeared. Each of them had their own particular situation, and there were no visible changes in their panels.

But as he looked through the others, Lann became increasingly perplexed.

[Follower: Levin Bloth

Level: 5

Missions: Continuing the Bloodline - Part Two, Racial Bridge, People's Rebirth]

Levin seems to have received a main mission!

…

[Follower: Milva (Maria Barring)

Level: 7

Missions: Walking with Lions - Part Two, One Hundred Bows, Archery Instruction]

Milva's quests seemed pretty normal, except for the first one, which also seemed to be a main quest.

…

[Follower: House

Level: 10

Missions: Last Wish - Part Three, Gwent Master - Part Two, Witcher's Heart, Bastion Reorganization]

House was Lann's most trusted follower. He remembered that it had taken him a year in Cintra to reach level 10, but House had managed it in less than six months. He even seemed to have two main quests on his list.

...

[Follower: Kiyan

Level: 10

Quests: Novigrad's Good Neighbor - Part Two, Theatrical Tour - Part Two, Intense Fire, Cat School Home, Dream walker, Midnight Specter, Shape-Shifting Thief]

Kiyan's level increase is also very gratifying. Although he was hired relatively late, he started out as a follower with special talents that surpassed ordinary witchers. Lann estimated that he had been directly doing monster hunting tasks that far exceeded the experience from ordinary side quests, so it was normal for him to progress faster.

When Lann has time, he plans to go back to Novigrad to see him. Judging from the task list, there seems to be a lot of unexpected gains.

…

[Follower: Ace

Level: 12

Quests: Knight's Way, Little Painter, Apprentice Test, Renewed Beauty, The Second Dream, Entrance Examination, Red High Heels, Diary of Two People, Orchid in the Valley, Legend of the Mermaid, Deep in the Island, Becoming the Center of Attention, The Listener]

Lann was silent.

Wonderful!

...

At noon, everyone gathered at the front door of Kaer Morhen Castle. This was when Lann and his party were preparing to return to Cintra.

"I really want to ask you to stay for a few more days, but when I think about the fact that we will also go to Cintra later, I will skip these cumbersome courtesies." Vesemir patted Lann on the shoulder. "See you later."

Lann nodded, and finally looked around the quaint castle. "Don't be too reluctant, anyway, you will come back later. When we have time, we will rebuild and repair this castle with our own funds. It will definitely be better than it is now."

Vesemir simply shook his head and, instead of answering, called out to Geralt, who was trying to sneak away. "Geralt! Why are you hiding as if you were more timid than Ciri? Come here!"

"I'm not shy, but I think I will go through the portal later."

Faced with the ridicule of the mentor, Geralt looked solemn.

Ciri pulled him to the door, and Yennefer, laughing and shaking her head, joined the group heading to Cintra.

Although the wolf school had to stay to pack their luggage, they still sent Geralt to follow Lann temporarily.

Or it could be said that Geralt half-reluctantly took the initiative to follow, after all, Ciri had left.

And since Geralt was leaving, Yennefer naturally had no reason to stay, so she was happy to go with them.

"Perfect, this way I can continue giving Ciri her magic lessons along the way. Lann, you can join in too."

Lann and Triss's expressions became strange. On the other hand, Ciri had a bitter face. She thought it would be a rest, but her mentor would accompany her to Cintra.

With a tap of Mousesack's oak staff, a red portal opened in the courtyard, kicking up snow and making everyone's hair flutter.

Lambert gloated as Geralt's back disappeared in a red light. Suddenly, he thought of something and turned to Vesemir and said: "Can we go to Cintra on horseback later?"

"... We have a lot of luggage, and it may take more than a month on the road."

"I know, but I prefer that."

"... Go pack up first, and we'll talk about it later."

...

A feeling of vertigo and disorientation. Lann touched solid ground, but this time she didn't feel nauseous.

It's not because Lann has adapted to the side effects of the portal, but because there is a person standing in front of Lann who he hasn't seen for a long time.

This person and the old butler Enns have obviously been waiting here for a long time. When he saw the group land, he immediately showed a surprised and respectful expression on his face, and then performed a standard court salute.

"Her Highness."

Ciri was perplexed for a moment, and then her eyes lit up with joy. "Vissegerd?"

"Yes, Her Highness."

The man who was saluting looked very old, his hair and beard were already gray, but his body was still strong, and no one would doubt whether a person of this physique could go into battle and kill the enemy.

He wore a suit of fine plate armor, unique in all of Cintra. On his left breast was a small lion-shaped emblem, and he wore a dark blue cloak. At his waist hung a lion-hilted sword and a dagger.

This was the Marshal of Cintra, the second most prestigious and powerful man in the Cintra army. The reason for being second was that, in the past, Calanthe had firmly controlled military command; now, it was Lann who held an unparalleled reputation.

In the original timeline, Cintra was completely conquered and turned into a province of Nilfgaard. The Cintra resistance, led by Vissegerd, became the last bastion of Cintra, taking refuge in the kingdom of Brugge next to the forest of Brokilon, waiting for the moment to reclaim their land. However, in the Second War of the Northern Kingdoms, their thirst for revenge was exploited, becoming mere disposable pawns for the northern kingdoms.

Vissegerd was certainly a loyal veteran whom Lann had always wished to meet, and now, at last, that wish had been granted.

After greeting Ciri, Marshal Vissegerd stood up and glanced at Lann before saluting.

"Long time no see, Lann."

Even with her head still spinning, Lann made an effort to maintain a proper smile. "I'm glad to see you too, Marshal."

Unlike Ciri, although Lann was also from the royal family, but in ancient Cintra he had always been considered as someone irrelevant, at least in the eyes of a marshal like Vissegerd, a man of high authority.

Although Vissegerd had surely heard of Lann's accomplishments through Mousesack, some preconceptions are slow to change.

Lann didn't mind; he knew he would have plenty of time to prove himself.

Vissegerd also greeted Mousesack, and even Geralt, whom he knew.

"Master, Her Highness." Enns saluted to Lann and Ciri respectively, and then explained: "The Marshal came when you were out. I arranged a guest room for him in the mansion according to your previous instructions. And Mousesack Advisor informed me that today is the time for you to return, so we decided to welcome you here."

…

A large group of guests had arrived, including three imposing trolls, but the old butler did not lose his cool and led everyone to the residence, arranging accommodation for each of those present.

Lann and Vissegerd, eager to talk, headed straight to Lann's study.

"I have brought about two thousand men." Vissegerd began bluntly. "After the fall of the capital, I went north, gathering the soldiers who failed to regroup. At first there were about five thousand of us, but unfortunately we lost many brave men along the way. Those who remain are elite warriors."

Lann had already calculated that figure with Mousesack, so he showed no surprise.

But what Vissegerd said next did surprise him. "Lann, I will be in charge of all the troops from now on."

Did he intend to seize military command from him?

Lann remained calm. Through several interactions in Cintra this year and the memories of his previous life, he believed that Vissegerd was not such a person.

To put it another way, with his current prestige, Vissegerd really had no way to exclude him from the military system.

Looking at Lann's expression, Vissegerd smiled in surprise and satisfaction. After a pause, he explained frankly: "Lann, you don't have to worry, I'm not here to usurp power, I'm actually here to hand it over."

"Before Cintra is liberated, I will no longer be a marshal, but a general to charge into battle." Vissegerd said self-deprecatingly: "Cintra now does not need the strength of a 'marshal'."

"You, Lann, will have to take on an even greater responsibility. You must no longer handle everything by yourself; you must now take care of your own safety. In fact, when I heard that you went to the Northern Kingdoms conference with only a small group, I was quite frightened."

"Tomorrow, I will swear allegiance to Her Highness the Princess and transfer all military command to her. Then, by Her Highness's order, you will be granted authority over the army. All soldiers, including myself, will pay homage to you." Vissegerd said sincerely: "So you don't have to worry about me threatening you, and I won't allow conflicts between us before Cintra is liberated."

"I'm just worried about your safety, and I hope you won't go into battle and kill the enemy in person in the future - at least before Her Royal Highness the Princess comes of age, you can't take risks anymore."

Lann understood. This was the typical trait of the old Cintra soldiers: venerating skill with arms, believing in the strength of armies, and distrusting all extraordinary power, including magic.

So, although Vissegerd had heard of Lann's exploits, he still regarded him only as a warrior who possessed strength a little beyond the ordinary.

In a sense, Vissegerd was not wrong; on this continent, the protagonists are mortals, and an army is enough to crush any threat.

But Lann had already transcended those norms.

"Marshal, your advice is very wise," Lann replied truthfully. "In military matters, I am nowhere near your expertise, and I would like to learn more about strategy and tactics from you."

"But... my personal strength may be a little different from the knights you know."

Lann gestured with his thumb and forefinger, indicating a little. "Let's do something, let me show you my skills. Let's go to a bigger place."

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