The Witcher: Lord of the Empire

"I like painting, Lann, and I'm grateful that you've gotten me out of the painting world." Iris said, leaning a little closer to Lann. "I enjoy being the princess's instructor and having my works known... but now, there's something else I like..."

Lann felt something brush against his wrist; he knew it was Iris's dress, fluttering in the wind. He lowered his head slightly and Iris raised her chin slightly.

Although Iris wasn't breathing, she gave off a warm sensation that seemed to flow across Lann's face like a gentle current of air.

"And what is it that you like now, Iris?"

The soul in the painting laughed softly, not giving him a direct answer. She took one last step towards him, and the moment she was about to touch him, she vanished into an emerald flame that completely engulfed him.

A warm, gentle sensation ran through his body. When he came to, the green flame had once again concentrated on the scimitar on his back, and Iris's voice echoed: "Unless absolutely necessary, I don't want to go back to that painting. And if a battle comes up, I want to be there. I think I have some skill for that, too."

"Lann, will you allow me?"

Lann couldn't help but reach out and hold the handle of the scimitar and whispered: "Of course."

...

In the strait between the islands of Ard Skellig and An Skellig, the Drakkars began to appear one after another. The red and white sails shone in the sun, and the bronze shields hanging on the sides gleamed.

"It's the emblem of the Tuirseach Clan! It's Grandpa!" Ciri shouted, excited to see the emblem on the ships.

"King Bran is also coming." Lann added.

Despite the arrival of the king, the inhabitants of Kaer Trolde seemed to have already become accustomed to it.

The Drakkars had no special luxuries. Except for the impeccably trained soldiers on board, it was difficult to see anything that highlighted the nobility of its passengers.

If there was one thing that betrayed the presence of a monarch, it was the looks of respect and reverence of the castle guards.

The two men who descended from the Drakkars had been chosen by all as kings, one in the past and the other in the present.

Ciri ran to Eist as soon as she saw him. They had had a brief encounter before thanks to Mousesack, but for Lann it was the first time he had seen him since the fall of Cintra.

The handsome sea knight had aged visibly; in just one year, grey hair and wrinkles had left their mark on his face. Seeing him alongside Bran, one might mistake them for father and son, rather than brothers.

But Lann sensed that behind that worn exterior, there burned a steadfast spirit, a pent-up strength, waiting for the right moment to break free.

"You've done a great job, Lann." Eist just said those words, then opened his arms and hugged Lann tightly.

…

Bran looked almost identical to Eist, but he was taller and more robust.

Seeing him standing there, Lann felt as if he were facing a bear. And he firmly believed that neither the most violent waves nor the most intense storms would shake this man on his Drakkar.

Unlike Eist, Bran was much more effusive. At the moment, he was holding a lobster as big as Ciri's arm and biting into it enthusiastically, surrounded by a pile of empty oyster and scallop shells.

Sitting between Eist and Bran, Ciri was wrestling with a crab as big as her face.

Eist, on the other hand, was more attentive to etiquette, using the knife and fork skillfully, avoiding getting his hands dirty.

"If you want to find someone who likes Uncle Bran the most in the castle, it must definitely be the cook." Hjalmar joked. "Every time my uncle comes to visit, the cook always feels that her cooking skills have improved."

Beside Crach were his two sons, Hjalmar and Cerys, both close to Lann's age.

They both watched Lann intently, albeit with different expressions.

Fortunately, Lann has long been accustomed to other people's gazes. He drank a glass of wine without changing his expression and asked Eist: "Uncle, I heard something about you from Uncle Mousesack."

Eist nodded. "Then he must have told you that I want to return to the throne of Skellige."

He spoke bluntly, regardless of the current king sitting beside him.

The king who was about to be usurped didn't care. He put down the lobster shell and sucked his fingers with reluctance. "I find this a relief. It was Eist who gave up the throne to sail the seas. At the time, Crach was still a child, and the other jarls of the six clans either didn't want to get involved in politics or didn't have much of a head for it. I couldn't let the islands fall into their hands, so I agreed to become king."

"Although I have lived a wonderful life during these years in office, my advisors have complained that, instead of solving the political problems of the archipelago, I prefer to take people out to sea to plunder. There are even rumors that I do this to avoid my chatty wife." Rio Bran. "Ha, how can a son of the islands be afraid of his wife?"

"Deep down, I've always envied Eist. So now that he's willing to shoulder this responsibility, I couldn't be happier."

King Bran spoke openly about his thoughts, something unthinkable in other kingdoms on the continent. However, the islanders at the table were accustomed to his complaints and barely reacted.

Lann sipped his wine, enjoying the political frankness of the place. He found it refreshing, and without realizing it, he had gotten carried away by the atmosphere.

"But I heard you've encountered obstacles, haven't you?"

Eist nodded. "The abdication of a king does not allow for the direct designation of an heir, and even less so in my case, since I renounced the throne earlier. Many of the jarls believe this to be a farce."

Eist gave a scornful smile. "In fact, they want to be king themselves."

Lann reflected: "But uncle, you should have a lot of prestige in the islands, right?"

Eist replied confidently. "Yes, I have a considerable group of supporters. Also, with Bran's support, under normal conditions, there would be no problem in winning by vote. But I don't just want to be king, I need all the major clans to back me in order to send troops to Nilfgaard and support Cintra."

Saying this, Eist looked at Ciri sweetly and then turned to Lann. "So I have to silence the voices of opposition from those clan leaders… and do so in accordance with island customs."

"This method is a bit risky. I noticed the warriors behind you, are they witchers? I saw Geralt among them - I may need their help. "

Lann was puzzled. Eist knew well that witchers did not meddle in politics. Why would he need their help to be king?

Eist quickly explained: "Recently on the island of Undvik—about two months ago—an ice giant appeared. We do not know what phenomenon awakened it from its slumber, but since it emerged, it has wreaked havoc, destroying much of the island."

"Not only on Undvik Island, this giant is said to be able to use ice magic to roam between different islands, and has the mysterious power to command sirens. The various lords organized armies to encircle and suppress this giant more than once, but they were defeated every time."

"And I'm going to hunt this ice giant and get its head."

"Using the most powerful monster to gain the glory of the bravest warrior, to reclaim the throne of Skellige in glory. This is my plan."

As soon as Eist finished speaking, a system notification suddenly appeared in front of Lann.

[Mission Discovered - Wrath of the Glaciers:

A strange astronomical phenomenon has prematurely awakened a dormant ice giant. This giant is destroying everything in its path, and the beautiful island of Undvik has suffered catastrophic damage. The danger from this beast is spreading to all the islands of Skellige, and brave warriors of the sea hope to gain honor by defeating this creature. Monster hunter, perhaps you can help; after all, you would be helping yourself too.]

If Eist manages to defeat the giant, there is no doubt that he will become an epic hero in the Skellige ballads, as a revered ancestor. At that point, he would not only become king, but he would be able to establish a line of succession without any objection.

Furthermore, Lann anticipated that this hunt would be a great opportunity to obtain great rewards.

However, at this moment, all he felt was worry. This giant was supposed to appear a few years later according to Lann's memories. Furthermore, the strength of this ice giant was many times stronger than Old Speartip, so Lann really did not wish to undertake this task.

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