Bear School Astartes

Reins is just a minor character.

When Geralt first showed Lann a trivial hint of the troubles that had been weighing on his mind lately.

The young Demon Hunter took less than two minutes to see through what the White Wolf of Livia had always failed to grasp.

A crazed dog-like Mage who crossed borders of three countries left no trace pertaining to Geralt and Ciri untouched, bribing, blackmailing, torturing, silencing.

To a common person, it’s utterly shocking.

In a knight’s novel, he could qualify as a major antagonist.

Yet, this type of character is indeed just a minor figure.

As Lann said, the intelligence agencies of Redania and Temeria are not for show.

He hadn’t interacted with the intelligence agencies of Codwin, so he refrained from making a rash judgment.

But merely surviving entry from Redania into Temeria is already abnormal for Reins.

The traces Reins could find, the intelligence agencies of the two Northern kingdoms could find as well, and even find them seamlessly, far unlike Reins, an amateur with rough methods trying to perform delicate tasks.

They could easily know even earlier than Reins himself where he would investigate next, whom he would seek.

If these intelligence agencies wanted to eliminate Reins, as Lann had suggested.

They would wait on his inevitable path, armed with crossbows or longbows, ready to shoot the moment he showed himself.

In actual skirmishes, the intelligence agencies might lose a few men, or maybe not, but it’s inconsequential.

If once is insufficient, they’ll try twice, suppressing intelligence to toy with Reins like playing with a dog.

This suddenly emerging Mage is doomed to die.

But he didn’t die.

Not only did he not die, he even continued his investigation brazenly, without restraint.

— That means someone doesn’t want him dead. They want to see what splashes he makes next, who they might ’expose’.

”Whew~ Thanks, Lann.”

Geralt’s shoulders slumped, his whole body sinking into the chair, seemingly boneless.

”I was almost driven to unbearable due to that mad dog, just as Belengar said, intending to find him and kill him. But listening to you, tch.”

Geralt clicked his tongue, clearly having calmed his mind, grateful for not being impulsive.

Belengar, who had just slammed his glass on the table, picked it up again sullenly.

”Too complicated.” The old Demon Hunter sighed, looking at the two younger Demon Hunters across from him. ”Breaking it down like this, it’s like the layers of puff pastry on a dessert, one layer over another.”

”And this is just delving one step deeper.” Lann said calmly.

”If you continue to think deeper: what is the motive of the person behind Reins who sent him out?”

”They dispatched this mad dog to investigate, fully aware of how this mad dog would do things, yet still sent him out.”

”Doesn’t that imply they’re not worried at all about Reins potentially being killed by these countries’ intelligence agencies midway?”

”They know these intelligence agencies’ ways, knowing those intelligence chiefs won’t easily kill Reins just to expose themselves.”

’Bang bang’, Lann tapped his fingers carelessly on the table, a cold smile on his face.

”Heh, what appears to be a crazed dog is merely because people behind the scenes on both sides are gambling, thus ignoring him, letting him bark and bite at will.”

”The intelligence chiefs gamble on extracting the man behind Reins from his presence.”

”While the person behind Reins is betting on the greed of those intelligence chiefs, letting time stretch out to achieve their goals and retreat without a trace.”

Belengar hugged his glass, drinking unhappily: ”This... it’s getting increasingly complicated.”

The old Demon Hunter’s prior impulsive inclination to grab a longsword and hack away, or rather his reckless impulse, had dissipated completely.

In a complex situation, mindless violence cannot solve issues.

Seeing Belengar still processing information, seemingly vacant, Lann wasn’t surprised.

The complexity of reality far surpasses imagination, causing mutual entanglements on major matters to be unimaginably intricate.

In fact, he hadn’t finished further elaborating.

There are two possibilities for the person behind Reins at the final stage of their plan.

One is what Lann explicitly mentioned earlier, confident of withdrawing without leaving a trace after accomplishing everything.

The other... is accepting leaving a trace. As long as things are done, they don’t care about their identity exposure, or they’ve completely stopped caring.

They’re seeking Ciri, so why?

Why is it that once Ciri is found, the person behind Reins completely disregards the intelligence agencies of the two major intelligence countries, Temeria and Redania?

On what grounds?

Thinking about it, Lann actually had some vague guesses in his mind.

”Back to you, White Wolf.” Lann didn’t voice his thoughts, turned to ask Geralt instead. ”That crazy dog bites tight, but why were you in Gos Velen for several days?”

Now, Geralt, worried and confused, who used to handle various curses and bizarre tasks calmly, is pushed into a corner by the threat to his foster daughter, behaving like a stressed and dangerous wolf.

Uncertain news would only further strain his already tight nerves.

If this nerve were to snap under sudden pressure, Geralt might end up speaking recklessly due to emotional agitation and ruin things.

”There will be a conference on Sandy Island, many warlocks will be attending.”

Geralt, previously weighed down by the complex situation analyzed by Lann, took a big gulp of wine before speaking.

”Considering Yennefer’s status and strength, she’s definitely on the list of attendees.”

”If she’s attending the conference, she certainly won’t feel comfortable leaving Ciri alone at Meretelli Temple in Elrand.”

Lann frowned, ”Isn’t Nanik taking care of Ciri? At Meretelli Temple, it’s not considered being alone.”

”Compared to trusting others’ promises, Yennefer has always preferred trusting her own abilities.” Geralt shook his head helplessly. ”Therefore, rather than placing Ciri in the safe Meretelli Temple, she tends to keep her by her side.”

”Confident to the point of arrogance,” Belengar commented sarcastically, ”also prone to suspicion, difficult to entrust her trust to others. Typical traits of female warlocks.”

Lann scratched his chin beside them, ”I don’t feel that way.”

”You’re different, to say the least.” Belengar, unchanged from earlier, leaned back in his chair and waved his hand, repeating himself.

Geralt shook his head; he knew that Yennefer’s strong personality wasn’t quite liked by his friends.

But there was no helping it...he loved her, and she loved him.

So let it be.

Breaking up and reconciling over the years, never truly separating.

”Besides,” Geralt reminisced about the unique scent of lilac and gooseberry on Yennefer, her smooth skin, and thick, enchanting black hair, while continuing.

”Yennefer told me it’s time Ciri started her female warlock studies.”

Geralt picked up the bottle Belengar had placed on the table and poured some more into his glass.

”Ciri is a Magic Source, or rather, a descendant of the Ancient Blood passed down from Laura Doron. If manifest, she is a Magic Source.”

”Now is the time for her to learn magic, otherwise delaying it might cause her talent to start harming her.”

[Magic Source] refers to those among the groups capable of becoming warlocks and using magic who possess a uniquely favorable talent.

Ordinary warlocks often begin their journey with magic by sensing the presence of chaotic magic power and being able to intervene within limits.

These are the ’talented individuals.’

With subsequent systematic training and education, they can develop the ability to absorb and transform external chaotic magic power within themselves, becoming warlocks.

Whereas the [Magic Source] is a step beyond, known as highly gifted individuals even among warlocks.

Normal warlocks need to absorb the chaotic magic from the external environment, use their bodies to transform it, apply control power to utilize it, and only then does magic appear.

However, [Magic Source]s don’t need transformation; the magic that can be directly used by them naturally emerges from their bodies.

In other words, the bodies of [Magic Source]s are more like apertures through which chaotic magic power can flow and gush out.

Their bodies can spontaneously generate magic power, which sounds similar to the minor magic power generated in the bodies of demon hunters from mutations.

But in terms of quality, it’s not even close.

Historically, [Magic Source] warlocks, provided they received magical education and training, were never unknowns.

To the extent that the innate gift of [Magic Source]s would remind people of the earliest spell users that emerged when the Northern people landed.

Geoffrey Monk captured a dozen Djinns, wise beings born from the four elemental planes, naturally able to control the world’s chaotic magic without hindrance.

Geoffrey Monk used his captured Djinns as spellcasting mediums, even achieving a kind of ’infinite mana.’

The concept of [Magic Source] indeed bears some resemblance to beings like Djinns and Fire Giants of the elemental planes.

But on another note, this resemblance is akin to the similarity between [Magic Source]s and demon hunters...the quality is not even on the same level.

[Magic Source]s can naturally emerge chaotic magic power from their bodies under their control.

While Djinns and Fire Giants as elemental lives don’t need to ’emerge magic power from their bodies’; the world’s chaotic magic power they can absorb and control it all seamlessly.

This is the source of ’infinite mana.’

Compared to them, [Magic Source]s are more like a ’small drainage outlet’ for chaotic magic power.