From Witcher to Lord of the Empire.

Chapter 217 Duke Lannister
"Marshal, are you all right?"

Wisekid came back to his senses, and turned his gaze to the direction of his question, where the princess with mouse-gray hair was standing there.

Long time no see, the princess has grown up a lot compared to when she was separated from her just now: she is taller, with a girlish figure; only the palms of her hands are beginning to be covered with calluses, not like a princess.

But compared to the distress that the old butler Ens showed from time to time, Wiesakid admired this "hand that doesn't look like a princess".

After all, His Majesty Calanthe's hands are also rough. This 15-year-old lioness who was able to conquer the battlefield by herself is the eternal queen in Vesekid's heart. Vesekid is very happy to see that Princess Cirilla is becoming a new princess. The "Lioness".

Compared with the princess, another member of the royal family——Lan surprised Wei Saikid even more.

After the capital city of Sintra was breached, all members of the royal family except Princess Cyrila committed suicide to avoid being captured or humiliated by Nilfgaard.

Lane's presence was a surprise.

A surprise beyond Vesekid's imagination.

Recalling what happened the previous afternoon, Marshal Vesekid, who had experienced many battles all his life, couldn't help but fight another cold war.

Yesterday, after Lann said, "Demonstrate my ability", Wiesakid took Lann to the barracks where he was stationed.

At that time, the soldiers inside were fighting against training, and Lann casually grabbed a wooden sword for training, and used a way that others could not understand at all. The vanguard of the team was destroyed.

In the words of a baronial officer: "He seems to be dancing solo at a banquet."

The soldiers were stunned, but Vesekid was still worried about Lane's combat effectiveness; Lane expressed his understanding, because this was his sneak attack.

So next, he invited the entire marshal's personal guard to fight: frontal confrontation, tacit cooperation, cavalry and cavalry cooperation, and the formation has already been formed.

The soldiers were full of confidence.

The result was an extra team of people lying on the ground.Lane, on the other hand, became even more excited because of the adrenaline of the witcher, as if he had just finished warming up.

Only now did Wisekid have to admit that Lan had refreshed his understanding of the word "battle".

Afterwards, Lan brought Vesekid to an open space by the lake, and showed him his seal and equipment: the magic armor that deflects arrows, the Kunn shield that is hard to hurt with swords, and the Ig that can cover hundreds of people. Neil flames, Alder sweeping like a storm.

It is inconvenient to show the deceptive Axis and the decelerated Arden, and the exclusive skills of the ancient blood are not listed for the time being, but these are enough for Visekid to shake Queen Calanthe's national policy of "abandoning magic" .

Lane showed Marshal Vesselkid a whole new possibility of warfare.

Visekid was filled with emotions at the moment.He had heard a lot of rumors about Lann, about the corpses of enemies everywhere the lion passed, and the lion would have fire and storms to disperse the black sun and so on.

He has been in the army for many years and has seen these words a lot.Originally, he thought it was the babbling of refugees, an exaggeration and rhetoric made up to make life a little hopeful.

Now it looks like it is realistic!
"You can't imagine what tactics are going on in my head, Lane. Our soldiers will never lack morale in the future..."

After calming down, the marshal began to think, and then asked a question: "Lan, I see that there are many other demon hunters in your team, such as Geralt. They can also do the same thing as you." To what extent?"

Lan En thought for a while, and replied very tactfully: "We belong to different schools, and each of us is good at different directions."

The marshal was silent for a while: "What about you?"

Lan En smiled more tactfully: "I have learned more complicated things, and I know a little bit of everything."

……

"Marshal, are you all right?"

Wiserkid was thinking of Lane, and unknowingly lost his mind again.Actually letting the princess ask about her status for the second time, it really shouldn't be on him.

"Excuse me, Your Highness."

Ciri covered her mouth and smiled lightly, her words and deeds were dignified and polite: "Don't be too polite, Marshal, I will have to work hard for you later."

After returning to Brokiron, Ciri suddenly straightened her body, straightened her posture, eased her tone of voice, and became like a "princess".It almost made Lan feel dazzled. If I remember correctly, Ciri missed all the court etiquette courses in the past.

It turned out that Yennefer answered Lan En's doubts: "I used to be Aden's royal adviser, and I also interspersed a lot of etiquette classes in the middle of the magic class. Ciri studied very seriously."

A war fortress had already been built in the town of Brokilon, and Ciri was standing at the highest point of the wall at the moment. This place was simply arranged as a platform, and the Three Lions flag of Sintra was flying behind her.

The blacksmith who used to work in the royal family also forged a ceremonial armor for Ciri, although it was a reduced version, imitating Queen Calanthe's military uniform.

Ciri was now wearing a chain mail lining, a white robe over a large, thin shoulder plate, a red loincloth, and buckskin straps.

After putting on this armor, even the young girl who has not yet fully developed is full of heroism, and it also makes the old man in the army feel a lot of emotion, just like seeing a lioness alive.

Standing beside her were Lane, Mossack, Vesekid, Geralt, Yennefer, and ten guards selected from Lane's guard.

And in front of Ciri were Brokiron's current standing army and the army brought by Vesekid.

She will accept their allegiance today.

At the same time, there were a steady stream of other people coming towards this side, and Lan's attendants and guards led people to maintain order.

"Except for the soldiers who are still guarding against the Nilfgaardians on the front line, the rest are here. They need to swear an oath to their princess and know who they are fighting for." Mossak said softly to Ciri .

The princess nodded, and took a step forward so that her face could be seen by everyone below.

When Sintra was still around, the princess lived in seclusion; during Brokiron's time, Ran was hidden in Kaer Morhen, so many people saw Ciri for the first time, and knew her princess's appearance for the first time.

……

"This is Xi...is this our Highness?"

"She still looks like a child...but she does look like His Majesty."

"Shall we strike back at Nilfgaard under her leadership?"

The soldiers had good discipline and were able to remain silent, but there were occasional voices of discussion among the people, as if they had a lot of doubts about Ciri's existence.

Lan frowned, and took two steps forward to pass Ciri.Then he turned around, lowered his head, and knelt down on one knee towards the princess.

The discussion below fell silent, and there were no more discussions or questions.

Vesekid also took two steps forward, looked at the soldiers below, and said loudly:

"Warriors of Sintra, we are all going through a difficult time.

In the past days, our country was broken by Nilfgaard, and our homeland was burned and trampled down.Some of us have lost parents, some have lost wives, some have lost children, some of us have lost everything.We retreated to Bruge and established our base in a foreign country, just waiting for the moment when the three lions flag flew again, just waiting for the day when the roar of the lions resounded in Sintra.

We have been supporting our progress with vengeful anger, but we are sometimes confused.I sleep and eat with you, and I know what you think.We are all calling the name of the one who led us forward: His Majesty Calanthe. "

Weissakid paused when he said this, his eyes flushed: "We lost Your Majesty and failed to guard her when she passed away. This is a shame that we will never wash away.

But in the future, we still have a chance to regain our glory on the battlefield, because we have new followers—"

"Our princess, His Majesty's granddaughter, Her Royal Highness Cyrila Fiona Airon Leanron."

Visekid was impassioned, and his voice filled every corner.Then he also turned around and knelt down on one knee towards Ciri:

"I hereby swear to Her Majesty the Princess that I will always be loyal to Sintra and Her Highness. I swear to use what I have learned, as well as my wisdom and courage to defend the dignity and honor of the kingdom, protect the safety of Her Majesty, and the territorial integrity and prosperity of the country. I will do my best to fight for the safety and interests of the country and His Majesty. In every moment of my duty, I will faithfully follow His Majesty's will and decisions, as well as the interests of the country and To act in the direction of honor. I will abide by this oath until the last moment of my life."

Under the stands, all the soldiers also knelt down on one knee at this moment, shouting together:
"I will keep this oath until the last moment of my life!"

The sound of thousands of people kneeling on the ground caused the ground to vibrate slightly in an instant, and their shouts in unison resounded through the sky in an instant.The trees and leaves of Brokilon Forest swayed gently, as if disturbed by the human presence.

……

Geralt's expression was awkward, but his body was straight.Ye Naifa folded her hands on her shoulders, and a rare smile appeared on Wannian's iceberg-like face.

There were ripples in Mossack's eye sockets.Although this was not the moment he had been waiting for, seeing Ciri finally appear in front of his people and accept his allegiance, he couldn't help feeling a lot of emotion.

Ciri took a deep breath, feeling that the scene in front of him was many times more terrifying than the monsters Kaer Morhen encountered.But unlike when facing the monster, Ciri didn't tremble, but felt that something in his blood was stimulated.

Her waist was straightened, her breathing was heavier, and the expression on her face became more cold, majestic, and even solemn.

She walked slowly past Lann and Visekid, her eyes scanning the front.The soldiers in the army also lined up neatly in a square formation, as if they were waiting for something.

"Look up, my warriors!"

Thousands of eyes turned to Ciri.Ciri and them looked at each other, and instantly felt countless abundant emotions from it.

The princess took a deep breath and let it out slowly, remembering the breathing method she had learned in Kaer Morhen.It was originally prepared for hunting monsters, but I didn't expect it to play a role now.

Her mind went blank for a moment, and she looked back at Lane.At that moment, it seemed that a warm flame began to burn in her body, and her cold hands began to heat up.

At the same time, a large paragraph of words began to automatically emerge in her mind, as if blessed to the soul.

"In the past few days, our country has been attacked, and our homeland and people have been threatened like never before. Like you, I have lost almost all of my family; so I can know that fear will breed in your hearts, And the flames of vengeance will burn on this, until the day we drive the Nilfgaardians out."

"I am well aware of the shallowness of my age and the inadequacy of my knowledge. I am honored to have the allegiance of your warriors, and it is for this reason that I command you today: Respect and follow us as you follow and respect me. The Mossack advisors..."

Ciri turned around and pulled the astonished old druid forward.

All the people applauded for this. Mossak has already won the hearts of the people and has become an inseparable part of the people of Sintra today.

"To respect and follow our Marshal Vesekid..."

Ciri waved and pointed at the old marshal.

All the newly arrived soldiers cheered, feeling that their persistence in a foreign country had been recognized, and they were very grateful for this scene of harmony between the monarch and his subjects.

"To honor and follow our..."

Finally, Ciri took a step back and stood behind Lan with a smile on her face.

"...our Lannister, Lord."

……

After the majestic voice, a mischievous chuckle sounded behind Lann.

All the cheers below seemed to be paused at this moment.

The young man with lion pupils couldn't help being stunned, he turned his head and met the smiling Xili.

"Now? Is it necessary?"

"It shouldn't be now, I thought it would be done in one step after the restoration of the country." Shirley said softly, at this time her tone returned to the joy of the little girl, "But I heard that you went to Pontar before When I met other kings, I encountered a lot of trouble because of the title... so I will give you the highest title first. Anyway, this is just a title, and there is no matching territory to give you now. Later Enough……"

"According to etiquette, there should be ritual objects, medals, guards of honor, and maids to dress you at this time. I don't have any of them now, so you should be wronged..."

After saying this, Ciri immediately switched back to that solemn expression, and raised her cold voice to a level that everyone could hear.

"Kneel to me, 'Duke' Lannister!"

Lan forcibly suppressed his smile and turned sideways, making sure that the expressions on himself and Ciri could be seen by the people below.

And Ciri also stepped forward quickly, and pulled out Lann's Lake Maiden Sword with a "clang".The dazzling golden light of the runes merged with the sunlight for an instant, and it also made Lan's light golden hair more eye-catching.

Yennefer looked at Lann playfully. The free and proud sorceress was still whispering to Geralt on this occasion: "He is indeed handsome...extraordinarily handsome."

……

Shirley's eyes were also shaken for a moment, he just felt that something extremely beautiful appeared in front of his eyes, and for a moment he forgot what to say next.

A hand in an iron glove grasped the blade. It was Lan.He lightly placed the Sword of the Lake Lady on his shoulder, and swore loudly:

"Under the banner of the lion, I formally take an oath to fulfill my duties as duke. I will protect and uphold the honor and status of the family, and I will be responsible to my predecessors, my family and my own name.

I will give my all to expel Nilfgaard and restore my homeland.I will protect the rights and interests of the people and defend my princess to the death.

I will do everything in my power to help the past and future heroes who fought for this country so that we can inherit and enjoy the tradition and glory of this country and family.

I swear now: I will always be loyal to my country and my fellow man.I will honor the commitment and dedication I have made and be a worthy duke. "

There was no other sound in all of Brokilon as Lane swore the oath.

Ciri finally came back to her senses. She turned to face the crowd and wanted to say: Cheer for our Earl Lannister.

It turns out she didn't have to say that.
-
"Why are they cheering for you so loudly? It's obvious that I'm the princess!"

Brokilon, in the lord's mansion, Ciri yelled resolutely while holding Lan's arm.Although she was still wearing that dress at this moment, her tone and expression had regained the vivacity of a girl.

"Forget about the original soldiers of Sintra, why do the soldiers brought by Visekid respect you so much?"

Lan replied lightly: "Yesterday, I took the time to beat up a few... dozens of them—maybe a hundred or so—the most powerful among them."

Ciri choked.

Then she wrinkled her nose: "Forget it, I can't beat them now... But your 'Lion Cult' is called that, right? They are really desperate! Don't be afraid to beat them!" Are you yelling out of your own throat? One by one desperately squeezed forward, almost breaking up the army formation, and the townspeople of Brokiron also followed them and made a fuss!"

The little girl was so angry that she slapped the table straight: "The voice of swearing to me is so low, and the cheers for your canonization are so loud, do they still think of me as a princess?"

Lan was writing a document, but the ink and paper on the desktop shook twice with Ciri's movements, almost giving up all his efforts.As a last resort, he could only smile and hug the angry princess into his arms.

Shirley rubbed against Lane's arms, feeling a little better. When she looked up, she found that Lann just put her left hand on her head perfunctorily, running through her hair one by one, and the other One hand is still writing the document.

She swears that this man is more serious than herself when getting along with Heifeng!

"I'm ignoring you, I'm going to find Geralt!"

"Why are you looking for him?"

Xili was very angry, but still answered all questions: "I like this armor, I want to ask if he can keep it!"

Lann sneered: "You should obediently treat it as a dress. Its design is unreasonable. It's okay to put it on the battlefield or right away. If you go to the forest or other slightly more complicated terrain, you won't be able to move at all. "

"I don't care, if it doesn't work, just store it in your space magic, and you can take it out whenever I want to wear it!"

The little girl rushed out of the study like the wind and went to find her "accidental father". Immediately outside the house came the sound of House saluting the princess.

Then, the attendant gently closed the door that was knocked open by the princess.

……

Lane was now making preparations to go to Skellige.

The archipelago's maritime forces are not available in the entire south, north, or even the Kingdom of Zerikan on the other side of the mountain, or the Kingdom of Ofir on the other side of the sea.

It is not too much to praise Wushuang in the world.

Although there are King Bran and East, Skellige is his natural ally.However, the unique political system of the archipelago also makes it impossible for him to obtain all the assistance at present. If he wants Skellige to help him wholeheartedly, then he must also conduct a lobbying like Temeria and Redania.

The time will not be short, so before that he needs to settle Brokilon's affairs:

The three-headed troll brought back by Kaer Morhen was handed over to Mossak. The Druids have a unique way of dealing with these intelligent monsters—although they are not very intelligent. It is conceivable that the infrastructure speed of the territory can be significantly increased. up.

Later, Lan planned to keep most of the Snake faction and only take Colgrim away.For a character like Lei Suo, it is really overkill to be a high-level thug by his side.

The leader of the Snake faction has a good sense of politics. Lane intends to let him stay in Brokilon for a while. The specific position will be arranged by Mossak, and he will be familiar with all aspects of Sintra today like a rotation. It can also be regarded as relieving the pressure of the lack of senior talents in Sintra.

Lei Suo himself has already reacted, and being by Lann's side will make him "continuously" weaken.Leaving him alone in Cintra also gave him a chance to hone his skills as a witcher and strengthen his assassination skills.

In Lane's future plans, Letho would shock the North.

Serrit and Oakes stayed with Lei Suo, and they continued to do their old job of being a demon hunter, doing commissions and so on.Sintra will definitely be the base camp of demon hunters in the future, and the public needs to be familiar with the existence of demon hunters.

Although there is Lane now, the lion is too superior. Two more snakes walking among the people can be regarded as a way to deepen the understanding between the two sides, and the friendly atmosphere that Lane laid the foundation in Sintra also makes the two snakes happy.

Among the three attendants, Levin was kept by Lane, and he was arranged to be the adjutant of Vesekid.The troops brought by Vesekid were all dispersed and reorganized with Brokiron's troops to get acquainted with each other and cultivate a tacit understanding in combat.In Lane's absence, Levine was the voice of the Lion.

Originally, Lane preferred to keep House, but seeing the resolute look in the servant's eyes as he held the long sword he named "Sward", Lane gave up after thinking about it.

These are the more trivial aspects.

In the general direction, during Lane's absence: Vesekid continued to train soldiers and confronted Nilfgaard; Mossak was in charge of the people and was also responsible for the changes in related management positions in the territory; the old steward of Enns managed Finance, responsible for all dispatches within the territory.

Compared with the perfect systems of Lann's later generations, this management system is too crude.But in the current form of Sintra, it is barely enough.

At least it is much better than before, at least Mossak can occasionally be freed to study magic, and then he will ask Ke Weier to find Kelda to discuss the matter of spending money on the mercenary group.

……

Looking at the document in front of him, Lan heaved a sigh of relief.

I hope I can get what I want in Skellige.

(End of this chapter)