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TWL Chapter 314: The Queen, The King, and The Witcher
🕑 Added 2025-03-03 04:27:42 +0000 UTCLann and the other witchers hardened their expressions, trying hard not to show the discomfort they felt after crossing the teleportation portal. Even Black Wind looked more majestic than usual.
Fortunately, in diplomatic situations, a serious expression was not only appropriate, it also gave one an air of authority.
At that moment, Lann looked at the female officer who had come out to greet them. A rarity in the army, where women were often excluded from the combat ranks. However, like Milva in his team, any woman who managed to join the army must have extraordinary abilities.
Rayla was tall and lithe. Her black hair was braided down her back, while the sides of her head were shaved, giving her an imposing air. Her appearance even reminded Lann of the presence of the Skellige islanders.
Looking at Rayla's weapons and armor, Lann assumed she must have belonged to some special forces corps.
After a moment Lann managed to recognize Rayla. She was a relevant character from the memories he had of his previous life.
Lann pretended to have no information about her and asked: "Queen Meve has been waiting for me? But why do I see you wearing the emblem of Aedirn?"
Around Rayla's neck was a badge with a three-colored rose: black, gold and red.
"Lord Lannister, I now serve His Majesty Demavend," Rayla replied, bowing her head slightly. "However, Queen Meve is also here. Please accompany me."
…
When Lann arrived, Meve and Demavend were focused on a sand table, discussing marching strategies. Hearing Lann's arrival, they turned their attention to him.
"Long time no see, Your Majesty Meve, Your Majesty Demavend," Lann greeted politely. "Sorry for the wait."
Demavend, holding a goblet of wine, snorted in disdain. "Too slow, Lannister, too slow."
Rayla, who had escorted Lann and his group there, quietly stepped behind Demavend, joining his guard with discipline.
Meve looked up. But compared to the time of the meeting in the North, Meve's face was visibly more tired. As the main line of defense against Nilfgaard, the pressure she was under must have been enormous.
"Thank you for coming, Lann. I must apologize for making you come all the way here," Meve said in a tone of sincere gratitude. "I know the situation in Cintra isn't easy either, but with Lower Sodden between us, I couldn't go myself. It was the only option."
Unlike Demavend, Meve still showed appreciation for Lann. Not only because they were both on the front line of resistance against Nilfgaard, but also because of the help Lann had given her on more than one occasion in the Pontar Valley. Meve was a strict queen with herself and one of the few sovereigns of the North who kept her word.
Since neither she nor King Demavend were willing to put their fate in the hands of mages, they both rejected the option of traveling to Cintra through a magical portal. Lann therefore had to cross Lower Sodden to reach them.
Of course, with Demavend's pride, even if the path had been clear, he would hardly have agreed to go to Cintra to meet with Lann.
Demavend snorted in disdain and said coldly, "I don't understand how you can trust mages so much. You don't look like Calanthe's nephew."
Lann frowned slightly. His tone was calm, but his answer was blunt: "Advisor Mousesack is a druid of great renown in Skellige. It was my uncle who brought him to Cintra, and my aunt trusted him completely in life. He is a mentor in whom I can place my life. In fact, it is thanks to him that I was able to meet with their majesties today. Otherwise, we might have to wait until Lower Sodden was reclaimed."
Demavend's eyebrows rose at his words. His tone rose, filled with irritation, but his anger no longer revolved around Cintra or the mages.
"If you know that the Nilfgaardians are blocking us at Lower Sodden, then break through and clear the area! Lannister, we have given you so much support, when do you plan to move your troops?!"
His words left no room for argument; they sounded almost like a reprimand.
Queen Meve frowned slightly at Demavend's tone. She did not like his abruptness, but she was the monarch of a kingdom, after all. As much as she liked Lann, she had to put matters of state first.
It was clear that the United Kingdom of Lyria and Rivia also hoped that Cintra would take action as soon as possible. That was, in fact, the main reason for their meeting.
Lann sat down and gently turned the wine glass between his fingers. "Marshal Vissegerd has already informed me of their majesties' requirements."
Demavend snorted impatiently but still gestured for the servant to fill Lann's cup.
Thus the meeting formally began.
Meve was the first to speak, her tone much less aggressive than Demavend's. "We do not expect you to march immediately, Lann. But Cintra could help us relieve the pressure we are under. The Nilfgaardian attacks against the United Kingdom of Lyria and Rivia have become increasingly intense. From Lower Sodden, enemy reinforcements continue to arrive."
She paused briefly before continuing, "In addition, another Nilfgaardian division is stationed on the other side of the Yaruga River. Although I know they cannot cross it, we are forced to allocate troops to guard them. This has left us with limited resources on the front, even with Demavend's support."
Meve looked at him sincerely. "We really need Cintra to join the fight."
Lann was silent for a moment. He was not a cold-hearted man. His duty was to protect Cintra and its people, but Meve had been a key ally. At the Northern conference, she had interceded on his behalf with the other kings. He could not simply stand by as her kingdom fell.
Then he turned his gaze to Demavend, wondering why he was in such a hurry to see him march off to war. Did he really care about the defense of Meve and the Nilfgaardian threat?
Demavend emptied his goblet in one gulp and held out his hand for the servant to refill it. Then he said a single sentence: "The Scoia'tael."
Lann narrowed his eyes.
Demavend sighed heavily. "Henselt has gone too far, and it seems that Nilfgaard is also fomenting revolt among the non-human races within Aedirn. I need stability within my borders. If I can secure a peaceful environment, I will be able to withdraw my troops from the front and eradicate the insurgents once and for all."
"I've formed a Special Forces unit to take them out," he continued. "In fact, Rayla, the officer who escorted you here, is part of that unit. I've also heard that Foltest has organized a similar force to combat them in Temeria. I believe they call it the Blue Stripes."
So that was it... the Scoia'tael.
Lann let out an internal sigh.
He had had contact with a group of them some time ago. Back then, he had revealed his Elder Blood lineage. He wondered if the leader, Iorveth, had gotten his message across to the elven elders in time.
Lann gathered his thoughts before speaking. Then, he turned to Meve and said sincerely, "Your Majesty must be well aware of the situation in Cintra. Not even a tenth of our soldiers are fit to fight. Despite having taken in numerous refugees and begun their military training, training troops fit for war takes time."
"We have spent every last coin buying grain in Aedirn to ensure our soldiers can train without worrying about sustenance. We have bet everything. If we fail, the North will lose Cintra forever."
His speech made it clear that Cintra was fighting with everything it had. It was a desperate situation that required more time to strengthen itself.
Meve cast a questioning glance at Demavend, who nodded in confirmation. According to his spies' reports, Cintra had been purchasing large quantities of grain from Aedirn, and the resources used in those transactions were undoubtedly the entire reserves of the kingdom.
What they didn't know was that Lann had amassed a considerable fortune with the help of the Mirror Master.
Lann continued, "If we attack rashly, even if we win, Cintra would be so weakened that it would not have the strength to defend its territory. I'm sure the North is not only seeking a single victory on the battlefield, but also to rebuild the barrier against the South, right?"
"Right now, we can't even properly equip our soldiers with armor, and our trade doesn't allow us to import the iron ore we need."
Demavend nodded slightly. The reconstruction of Cintra was in his best interest. Even Temeria, Cintra's closest neighboring kingdom, did not intend to annex its territory, at most it wanted to install a puppet government.
On the other hand, Aedirn had repeatedly refused to allow Cintra to purchase iron ore. Aedirn, a predominantly agricultural kingdom, lacked abundant mineral resources and had a limited metallurgical industry, so they managed their iron reserves carefully.
Meve, hearing this, relaxed the expression on her face a little and replied, "I'm sorry, Lann. The United Kingdom is at war, and we are unable to provide military equipment to Cintra at the moment."
Lann shook his head, dismissing the matter. "I understand Your Majesties' difficulties. I only ask that you also understand Cintra's position. Right now, it is not the right time for us to send troops."
