Bear School Astartes

”Gulp~ Ha!”

Sitting in the tavern, Lann smiled peacefully, watching Taler, who was seated next to him at the bar, gulp down a frosty glass of Livia Cherry Beer.

He turned to look at the innkeeper who had helped him store things a few times in the past.

Now, compared to the old attire smeared with oil and sweat stains, the innkeeper’s outfit looked much more affluent.

He was wearing a clean puff-sleeved tight-fitting top and even paired it with a black silk waistcoat and a butterfly bow tie.

Although his service was still clumsy, fitting a village tavern, the collection of wine behind him was now entirely on par with the taverns in the distant city of Vizima.

This frosty glass of Livia Cherry Beer in early summer, if served in a glass cup, would probably have frost forming on the outside.

Without a mage using magic to chill it, reaching this condition wasn’t easy.

”Looks like you’ve got quite a few new items?”

Lann asked the innkeeper with a smile.

The innkeeper responded with more enthusiasm than before, excitedly saying.

”Thanks to you! If it weren’t for you driving off those Niflgaardian black dogs, who would be in the mood to drink fine wine now? All the money would have to be saved for handling troubles.”

”No doubt, today whatever you drink is on me!”

”Got anything fresh? Something strong.”

”Redania Herbal Wine, with a unique herbal bitterness, it’s a proper high-proof spirit, even used in alchemy.”

Lann nodded indifferently: ”Then give me a glass, with beer...”

”Serve it in a beer mug!” Before Lann could finish, the innkeeper quickly started preparing. ”I understand, we’re old friends, sir.”

And after the wine was served, the innkeeper didn’t stay to chat, rather he mindfully moved to the other end of the bar.

”I’m now beginning to suspect if you guys are into intelligence gathering.”

Lann took a sip from his glass of Redania Herbal Wine; it indeed had a bitter herbal taste that Lann couldn’t quite appreciate, he still preferred drinks with a bit of sweetness.

”If this tavern were just set up in the village, it wouldn’t be able to make ends meet, and it wouldn’t...”

The Demon Hunter gestured with his oversized mug and pointed to the oversized stool he was sitting on.

”have such special-sized furniture.”

Lann raised an eyebrow at Taler: ”This is unusually peculiar.”

”But this is the best decision I can make under those dumb bastards, master.”

Taler curled his lip, taking a slice of cheese from the snack plate in front of him and popping it into his mouth.

This goes back to the end of the Sodden Mountain Battle.

After Lann demonstrated the power to singlehandedly change the course of a war, it was the bureaucratic institutions of each country that first got headaches.

Bureaucracy is almost synonymous with conservatism, seeking stability, and resisting change. They simply never encountered such a situation.

The likes of Alzur and Pure-white Rafad were also arrogant, but ultimately, they still operated within the framework of the Wizard Association.

On how to deal with them, bureaucrats just followed the standards and rules of the Wizard Association.

But... a demon hunter?

When had bureaucrats ever paid attention to such marginal and rare groups?

If it was an army, then the bureaucrats could at least formulate a contact strategy.

But it was a single person.

A person capable of single-handedly tearing through the Niflgaardian army on the battlefield.

The battle then involved around 110,000 participants, based on later statistics.

And directly killed by Lann and his Knight Order were easily no less than ten thousand.

Among them, the renowned Niflgaardian Duke—Adal Epp Darcy, served as a very conspicuous footnote, with him and his mixed-division being listed at the top of the battle’s accomplishments.

The kingdom’s bureaucratic agencies simply had no idea how to approach him, how to turn this unprecedented strength into their political power, as a friend or an asset.

So, in a predictably amusing manner, after countless back-to-back conferences and parliamentary meetings filled with profanities, they finally hammered out a strategy.

This strategy, as always, seemed quite abnormal.

After all, such things are usually the product of various forces fighting each other, eventually finding their limits, and mutually compromising.

So it might even strike as contrary to the ’common sense’ in most people’s eyes.

”So what could I do, master?”

Taler shrugged, rolling his eyes.

”Those idiot councilmen set demands, and the overbearing king set his demands too. Even though we intelligence folks have our ways of acting, orders from above must be appeased, no way around it.”

”Just listening to your battlefield achievements makes me almost wet myself. Only an idiot would cross you or try some sneaky tricks. My brain isn’t squeezed by bullshit!”

This is why such a split scenario appeared in this village.

On one hand, intelligence personnel were required by orders to blend in with the villagers, hiding in the shadows. Meanwhile, on the other, Taler used every possible twist and turn with financial manipulation to invest in this village tavern, elevating it to such an over-the-top status.

It’s truly a genuine workplace reality: after the powers at the top fight it out, they compromise to an odd order. And below, to complete the task, they have no choice but to use even stranger methods to balance the rules from above and the goal’s achievement.

”Sounds like you’re accustomed to this kind of troublesome situation.”

Lann casually sipped the drink he didn’t much like, speaking offhandedly to Taler.

And the intelligence head nodded, his tone just as dismissive.

”No other way, it’s work, isn’t it all like this? Plus, dealing with intelligence is inherently special, with extra restrictions; if I didn’t get used to it, how would I keep going? Would’ve been stabbed in the kidney and thrown in a toilet long ago.”

”Tsk.” Lann clicked his tongue, glancing sidelong at Taler. ”Can’t you speak without swear words?”

”No can do, from a kid to now it’s been like this. If you can’t stand it, damn if I can help.”[p>

”...Alright, damn, even dwarves aren’t as foul-mouthed as you.”

Taler had Lann spouting profanity.

But Lann couldn’t help it, he can’t just cut someone down for their habitual swearing.

”Anyway, my approach to your contact strategy emphasizes being open and above-board.”

Taler said, taking another drink mid-sentence.

”Those councillors with brains not as big as a Giant Demon Spirit have just read too many novels and storybooks, and what they read were always the ones with big butts and big chests template drawings. And damn ’secretly gathering intelligence’... Huh!”

At the end of his rant, Taler grumbled with his throat, tilting his head and spitting on the floor.

”If you’re going for the ’open and above-board’ approach, I certainly don’t mind. But ultimately... what intelligence are you trying to gather?”

Lann asked casually with a side-glance, holding his wine glass as he waited for Taler to finish ranting.