Bear School Astartes

A steady, gentle, yet calm tone naturally carried a sense of presence and style.

In normal circumstances, maintaining this tone would make the speaker appear insightful and trustworthy.

However, during debates or disputes, maintaining this tone would make the opponent feel at a loss and even start to doubt if they were indeed wrong.

Now, Sachia’s tone and the man opposite her found themselves in this situation.

This man had fought his way out of the South-North War battlefield, having seen through the brutality of the Niflgaard people.

Yet faced with the opponent’s reasonable and well-argued questions, his originally angry and impatient tone became momentarily stammering, unable to express any insightful comments.

He merely repeated phrases like "black-skinned dogs" and "all Niflgaard people are disgraceful liars."

Ironically, this made him seem even less credible, and like a rash and illogical fool.

But this man was not an unreasonable, irrational person.

He himself felt his mind was in a muddle, knowing he had nothing more to say, so he spat forcefully to the side before turning around and leaving.

After leaving the pavilion, he brushed past Lann who was approaching.

But having lost the argument, the repressed emotions made him merely glance sideways at Lann and continue walking forward with his head down.

The parts of his armor and the sheath of his hand-and-a-half sword clanged with a ’clattering’ sound.

Lann, chewing a golden calendula, watched with a hint of amusement as the man walked away with his head down.

He stepped into the pavilion where Sachia was, book open on her hands, still leaning against the pavilion railing.

Her long legs, adorned with armor parts yet maintaining a sense of grace, were intertwined and casually stretched out.

The book pages rustled as Sachia, with her golden hair, did not look up, but simply spoke calmly.

"Strange, isn’t it?"

"Hmm..." Lann raised an eyebrow under his hood, "What are you referring to?"

"That gentleman just now." She lifted her gaze from the book to glance at the tall figure entering the pavilion and continued speaking.

"He wanted to sleep with me, I could feel it. He wanted it very much. Because his eyes lingered on my breasts, waist, and thighs before our argument started. Yet he wasn’t even willing to engage in a bit more conversation with me. Strange, right?"

This time Lann did not continue the topic.

He merely tilted his head and glanced at the cover of the hardback book in her hand.

"Sir Nairwen’s ’A Study on Niflgaard Empire Customs and Systems’... in terms of research on the Niflgaard Empire, it has some reference value, but not much."

After just a glance, Lann crossed his arms, speaking in a calm and rational tone, just like how Sachia spoke to the man earlier.

And as expected... Sachia’s reaction was as Lann anticipated.

"Oh? It seems you are a man of learning." The woman closed the book, lowering it naturally while her eyes fixated on Lann.

"So, might someone like you resolve my earlier confusion?"

"The contradiction between what is described about Niflgaard in a credible book and the current actions of the Niflgaard people?"

There was a slight sharpness in her words, a bit confrontational.

This was normal because when something a person believed in gets challenged, there tends to be a bit of resistance in one’s heart.

Earlier, she mentioned ’the conflict between book descriptions of Niflgaard people and the real actions of Niflgaard,’ but it was clear from her tone that her heart leaned more towards the depiction of Niflgaard in the book.

And Lann remained with the same calm and steady tone.

"First, we need to define what a ’credible book’ is."

"In the field of Niflgaard studies, this book is a credible one." Sachia, who had been holding the book down naturally, raised her arm, indicating Lann.

Her strong and beautiful eyes also stared at the face mostly hidden under Lann’s hood.

"The Northern King Vizimir granted honors to the author. In other words, this is a book recognized by Niflgaard’s enemies, isn’t it?"

"Superficially... the logic isn’t wrong."

Under his hood, Lann’s thin lips curled into a small arc.

But this slight arc was quickly caught by Sachia, and a nameless rage arose in her heart.

Of course, in terms of tone, Sachia still suppressed that inexplicable anger.

"So you are saying I am short-sighted?"

Lann smiled without responding directly, only pointing to the hardback book in her hand.

"Sir Nairwen used a very... clever writing technique—please forgive me for only being able to describe it this way—to bypass many issues that had to be addressed, allowing the book to be presented to you in its current form."

Lann stepped forward, relying solely on touch and Mentos’ records, turned to one of the pages without even looking.

His gloved hand lightly tapped on a particular passage.

"In this passage, he glosses over the Niflgaard’s slave system, providing vague descriptions, as if attributing all the glory and prosperity of Golden Pagoda City to the ’innate sense of honor and diligence of the Niflgaard people.’

The capital of the Niflgaard Empire is called Niflgaard City, also known as the City of Towers.

It is rumored that the roofs of all the buildings in that city are golden, reflecting the sunlight like the Divine Domain.

Sachia initially had a puzzled expression, hesitantly following Lann’s gesture to reexamine the passage in the book.

But Lann wasn’t finished speaking.

He quickly turned another page.

"And here, Sir Nairwen describes the Niflgaard people’s concepts of equality, mutual friendliness, unity, and the elimination of discrimination... Sorry, I almost laughed."

"But that’s really not appropriate, because telling such jokes about Niflgaard is as unsuitable as telling jokes in Hell."

Sachia had already completely lost the composure and decisiveness she had when she cornered the male warrior earlier. She looked at the tall man in front of her, cloaked and hooded, completely baffled.

"Actually." Lann pointed out three place names in the book, showing them to Sachia.

"In the Niflgaard Empire, the further south and closer to the imperial center one is, the prouder they can claim to be ’Niflgaard people’."

"People from Niflgaard City can say that, though they’re somewhat unwilling, they also allow those living in Vikvaro to claim as much."

"But at most! At most, those from the Alba River Basin are included. Anyone from outside these places who dares to call themselves a ’Niflgaard person’ would pay dearly for it."

"But luckily, most people from other areas do not wish to be called that."

"In the Niflgaard Empire’s vassal state, Aebin, there was a rebellion last year, and an area was completely wiped out... what do you think the locals’ expression would be if others called them Niflgaard people?"

Sachia slightly opened her mouth, furrowing her brows as she peeked at the book in her hands, then looked up at the mouth under the shadow of the hood that was curving into a dispassionate smile.

"But even if you say so, the author might have used some ambiguous narrative techniques, but after all..."

Lann mercilessly interrupted Sachia, whose assertiveness had turned hesitant and slightly insecure.

"But after all, the author was knighted by King Vizimir, right?"

"Yes, that’s right. But, dear miss, have you ever considered... who sponsored the writing of this book?"

Sachia’s jaw dropped: "... Sponsorship?"

"Researchers of foreign customs and systems need to travel, sometimes live abroad for extended periods, and travel expenses cover room and board. These things require money."

Lann said with a smile.

"A scholar who isn’t keen on investing personal funds in their work would need a sponsor, maybe their employer or some societal support."

As soon as Sachia heard ’employer’, she attempted to turn to the book’s title page to check for sponsorship information.

But Lann shrugged.

"But the sponsor of this book wasn’t Osenford University, but... Prinslav Stesa."

"A count of Temeria very popular and prestigious a few years ago."

"Stesa?" Sachia murmured thoughtfully. "The one involved in human trafficking, closely associated with Niflgaard, who was killed by the Hunting Marquis?"

"But why would Vizimir...?"

"Because Stesa was Veltrest’s cousin and was pretty influential when alive."

Lann said nonchalantly, even with a hint of boredom, to Sachia, who had spaced out from receiving too much information at once.

"Vizimir was happy to give Stesa some more reputation and face, as long as it caused headaches for Veltrest."

Sachia blinked several times.

"Even if the book and the author spoke well of his enemies?"

Lann chuckled and shook his head.

"Compared to giving Veltrest a hard time and draining his energy, what’s a book? What’s an honorary title for a professor who already had a name?"

The Demon Hunter’s finger tapped the hardcover of the book, making a soft ’thump’ sound.

"So... do you have any thoughts on the definition of a ’credible book’ now?"

The Female Warrior pursed her lips, lowered her head once more to look at the book in her hands for a moment.

With a soft ’thud’, she finally pulled out the finger used as a placeholder and closed the book completely.

"So behind a single book, there could really be such complexity?! It’s truly..."

She hesitated for a moment, her lips moving as if choosing her words.

"Truly eye-opening."

Sachia lifted her head to carefully study the tall man she had never seen in the Divine Hall before.

Finally, her beautiful eyes fixed on Lann’s left hand.

"Hmm, you’re not bad, at least you bring flowers." She raised an eyebrow, a hint of self-satisfaction in her casual tone, "Are you also trying to sleep with me?"