Bear School Astartes

”Ah haha, every time I talk with you, Lann, it makes me feel so cheerful. It’s wonderful.”

The slightly short and stout bearded man, Socrates, suddenly burst into loud laughter, full of joy and happiness.

At this moment, he was standing with Lann, both holding wine cups, but they seemed so engrossed in conversation that they forgot they still had drinks in their hands.

”Don’t make it sound like I’ve refuted one of your points, Socrates.”

Lann’s tone was familiar, as they had actually known each other for some time through Socrates’ student, Alcibiades.

”I’ve never debated with you; I’ve just been talking to you.”

”And that’s what makes you superior to others who boast of their eloquence.”

Socrates eagerly patted Lann on the arm, his eyes revealing the joy of acquiring new knowledge.

This expression often surprised people who knew him, but when they saw Lann standing beside him, their surprise quickly faded.

”You never argue with me, no matter how carefully and cleverly I set up topics and traps. You just talk with me. And conversation has no win or lose; without winners and losers, you are undefeatable!”

”Ah, this is yet another new idea I’ve dug out from you. I finally understand the joy those treasure hunters feel.”

Lann tilted his head: ”Interpret it however you like, as long as you don’t anger everyone at the party.”

”Allow unfamiliar knowledge and logic to be right here.” Lann smiled and pointed to his temple.

”But as I said when we first met: I am not a philosopher, I was passively trained in knowledge and logic from my hometown, and they are now part of my thinking. I don’t even have the ability to summarize and refine them.”

”If you’re curious about these things, then do what you do best—explore my ideas through conversation, questioning, and engagement.”

”That’s what’s kept me so excited and sleepless lately,” Socrates admitted.

”Honestly, have you considered moving to my place? I could treat it as a job and pay you! I really want to talk with you day and night.”

If those words were spoken by Alcibiades, there would inevitably be a hint of ambiguity in them.

But it was Socrates, a philosopher who believed that indulging desires would ruin human intellectual potential, who spoke, so Lann’s response was equally candid.

”But would the performance after being paid really be the same as your everyday conduct, Socrates?”

”Oh! Leading question!” The hairy, stout philosopher exclaimed with a hint of laughter.

”It seems that while I’m exploring the knowledge and logic in your mind, you’re also learning from me. This is wonderful! Knowledge is being transmitted and growing between us!”

As Lann was having a great conversation with Socrates, he glimpsed Cassandra already walking over with two amphorae.

”There’s no need to try that trick on me and Socrates.”

Lann raised his hand to stop Cassandra from pouring wine, shaking his cup at her.

”We haven’t really drunk much.”

”Then according to your words...” Cassandra teased Lann, ”it seems I’ve luckily found two wise men all at once.”

Lann smiled at this tease, causing Cassandra to absentmindedly pause.

At that moment, Lann pulled her to face Socrates.

”This is my friend, [Hawk Trainer] Cassandra. She is trying to find a woman who fled from Sparta.”

”But she’s right here,” Socrates grinned, instantly recognizing the woman from Sparta.

”Good eyes.” Cassandra, snapping back to reality, straightened her braid on her shoulder and admitted her identity, ”But I’m looking for another, a woman who escaped Sparta nearly twenty years ago.”

”Do you know how many strangers have come into Athens in the past month? Let alone twenty years ago.”

Cassandra sighed and said, ”No, I don’t even know if she really came here.”

Socrates shook his head, biting his lower lip, pondering something. ”If she traveled north by land, then she surely would have passed through Argos.”

Cassandra’s heart sank. She didn’t even know if her mother left on foot. ”Argos is big.”

”Yes,” Socrates agreed, ”but the peaks are continuous there, occupied by bandits everywhere. Yet there’s a road that passes through the Asclepius Sanctuary. The priests there are famous for providing refuge to wanderers and those in need.”

”Ah,” Socrates said in a low voice, ”but there’s also another person there. My friend, Doctor Hippocrates, trained there. He’s not a priest, but he’s got an excellent memory for details and faces.”

”If you want to find a Spartan coming from the north, especially a lone woman, no one would remember more clearly than he does.”

”She wasn’t alone; she also brought along an injured infant.”

”That would make it even more memorable, wouldn’t it?”

Cassandra nodded, acknowledging that she remembered the intelligence support from Socrates.

Just then, Lann suddenly looked towards the courtyard entrance.

”Aspasia is here; huh, it seems the party is about to reach its climax.”

A woman with healthy sun-kissed skin, her features elegant and deep, was walking in from outside the door.

She seemed like a hostess, greeting and acknowledging every party guest. And here, every person of notable stature in Athens courteously returned her greeting.

Cassandra was surprised to find that even Socrates slightly bowed when Aspasia looked over.

Socrates wasn’t someone who would bow to wealth and beauty; he only bowed to wisdom.

This meant he acknowledged the wisdom of the woman who appeared at the party.

Lann nodded towards the beautiful woman and received a nod in return.

Yet he didn’t seem eager to stay any longer.

”Aspasia will probably want to have a word with you later. She truly is a formidable woman with wisdom and tact. The help she can offer you is no less than anyone here.”

Lann handed his barely sipped earthen cup to a passing servant, shook his Athenian robe, and turned to leave.

”After you’re done talking with her, you can come find me. Remember to bring weapons and armor; our pursuit begins tonight.”