The Witcher: Lord of the Empire

Lann extended his hands to ask for silence from the crowd, who wanted to continue shouting more titles to acclaim him.

"All these titles are of no importance, they are just decorations on my journey. What really matters is the purpose of this trip, and I must say... I have brought good news!"

Lann raised his right fist, raising it above his head. "We are at a critical moment in the war. Our enemy is strong and ruthless, with better weapons and more resources. I know that these days have been filled with fear and uncertainty, not knowing what tomorrow will bring. But we all swore to protect our home, just as I swore to protect you."

"That is why I set out on this journey. Today, the kingdoms of Temeria, Redania, Kaedwen, Aedirn, and the United Kingdom of Lyria and Rivia, have signed a pact with us. Together, we will face Nilfgaard! Very soon, the warriors of the Black Empire will be driven from our lands, and we will be able to return home!"

The crowd remained silent, as a new hope shone in everyone's eyes.

"This is the last period of darkness before the dawn. And just before we reach the light of victory, Cintra needs your efforts more than ever, to overcome all adversities. We must unite in the face of difficulties, support each other in the face of challenges, and respect and value each other's contributions."

"I promise you that these dark days will soon end, and victory will be ours!"

Every word Lann said sparked excitement in the eyes of the people. When he spoke his last words, the crowd erupted in cheers that seemed to break the heavens.

"Cintra! Cintra! Cintra!!!"

"Long live Lannister!! Long live the lion of Cintra!!!"

Mousesack, smiling, watched as Lann turned around to receive the cheers of the village. For a moment, he thought he saw young Calanthe, bright and resplendent when she had first become famous at a young age.

'No, Lann has surpassed Queen Calanthe.' The old druid thought. 'The path he is taking is more difficult, but also broader. He and Ciri will lead Cintra to new heights.'

The old druid had come to Cintra to teach Ciri's mother, hoping simply to train a powerful disciple who was a Source. Instead, he forged a deep bond with this magic-distrusting kingdom, becoming Lann and Ciri's teacher.

Mousesack was confident that he would live to see the rise of one of the most powerful kings in history.

'Just that... the offspring of a witcher is a serious problem...' Thinking of this, Mousesack frowned. 'Research on witcher mutations should be put on the agenda as soon as possible.'

When Lann turned to him, the druid quickly relaxed his frown, smiling warmly.

Mousesack's purpose of showing the people Lann's return, reinforcing their unity and morale, had been fulfilled. The old druid then led the newcomers into the camp, while vines magically grew to make their way through the crowd. The people cooperated, crowding outside the vines, but not daring to cross them.

The soldiers who followed Lann out all held their heads high. They accompanied the lion of Cintra as a guard across half of the northern border and brought him back safely. This was an honor. In their hearts, they vowed to achieve even greater glory on the coming battlefields.

The people of the Viper School looked at Lann in amazement.

"Although I knew Lann the earliest, I have never followed him back to Cintra." Commented Kolgrim, who had met Lann in Temeria. "I'd always heard stories about him, and while I imagined his comeback would be something impressive, I never thought it would be this great."

The eyes of the crowd were on Lann, but some also cast quick glances at the witchers. For those accustomed to the nomadic life, such glances were more than enough to make them feel uncomfortable.

Soon, some rather loud conversations reached their ears. The witchers, with their keen senses, easily distinguished these words from other irrelevant noises.

"Look, those with amber eyes, are they witchers?"

"Yes, although not as majestic and charming as the earl's eyes, they are comparable to Mr. Geralt's."

"No, no, I think Mr. Geralt is more handsome."

"But the bald witcher in the front is really strong, and he is a warrior with good strength at first glance..."

"With so many witchers, isn't Cintra safer? Long live Cintra!"

These discussions were made by the public, and there was also praise from soldiers who had fought side by side with Geralt. The unpretentious recognition and praise in the words made the witchers uncomfortable.

Kolgrim tapped his horse's belly and approached Letho. "I think I'm starting to like this place."

Letho still had no expression on his face, but the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

"The Order of Witchers... perhaps this is the right place to set it."

...

Compared to three months ago, the city of Brokilon was now much more alive. The refugees had found their place, devoting themselves to manufacturing weapons, processing food and other logistical tasks, all united to contribute to the war effort.

Surveillance was also tighter. What had started as a small settlement had become a military camp with the arrival of troops and was now a completely transformed makeshift fortress.

Not far away, an officer could be seen arguing with some merchants, including humans, dwarves, and halflings. As Lann and his group passed, the merchants bowed in respect.

Outside the lord's mansion, the old butler Enns had already brought his grandson Hardy to greet them at the door. After bowing to Lann with excitement, Enns forcefully asked Hardy to take Lann to bathe and change clothes.

He went to arrange the accommodation for the four witchers. The old butler had already learned about the arrival of the four guests from Mousesack and was ready to welcome them.

The three servants were dismissed on the spot and returned to their respective residences in the mansion to rest. Milva seemed to want to follow Hardy to serve Lann but was forcibly dragged away by House.

The Cintra knights, for their part, were quartered in a row of houses near the mansion. They had been selected from among the best soldiers in Cintra, and three months at Lann's side had hardened them. They would not be dispersed; they would remain his personal guard.

Everything was arranged in an orderly manner.

Soaking in the tub, Lann sighed with satisfaction. "This is the feeling of home."

...

Half an hour later, with Hardy's help, Lann finished dressing and headed for the study. There, Mousesack and the old butler Enns had been waiting for him for some time.

Hardy poured wine for the two elders and Lann, then discreetly retreated to one side.

"Tell me, Lann." Mousesack did not drink but looked at Lann with a smile. "This trip to the North must have brought you a lot of gains. When you were in Novigrad, you already told me part of what happened, and then in your letters you informed me of some details. But tell me, what exactly did you achieve at the Northern conference? Did you really gain the support of the other kings, as you said?"

The news that half of Novigrad had fallen under Lann's control had reached them when Triss returned with the sorcerer from Ophir, which had left the two old men stunned for quite a while. After all, Novigrad was not just any city, it was the first city in the North, whose splendor surpassed that of several small kingdoms and even some medium-sized kingdoms. Not even Vizimir II had managed to completely control Novigrad, and now Lann was saying that he had!

It can only be said that Chappelle is too crucial. After knowing the truth, Mousesack had to sigh at Lann's luck; of course, it was also Chappelle's luck to meet Lann, otherwise he would be put to the stake sooner or later.

In response to Mousesack's doubt about the Northern conference, Lann shook his head slightly.

"I did sign some agreements with them, but how many of them will be effective in the end and to what extent they will be effective still needs to be considered."

"The North has indeed reached a consensus, but we are still a long way from full cooperation. In terms of military support and resource allocation on paper, we may be able to drive Nilfgaard away, but this will inevitably cause Cintra, which is already dwindling in population, to suffer greater losses, so we still need to plan for the long term."

Lann's words to the people had been meant to inspire them, but the reality was more complex. He then began detailing the results of the conference to Mousesack and Enns: unconditional support from the United Kingdom of Lyria and Rivia, troop reinforcements from Aedirn, support on sea routes from Redania, resource support from Temeria, and Kaedwen's promise not to interfere.

Furthermore, these kingdoms pledged to issue a joint declaration to resist Nilfgaard, urging the other kingdoms of the North to boycott the empire in all areas, from trade to other forms of cooperation. How much of this would be fulfilled, however, remained to be seen.

"One would expect nothing less from Henselt." Mousesack said with a sarcastic smile upon hearing Kaedwen's promise.

The group then began to assess Cintra's current forces and plan the next strategy.

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