Chapter 1472 - 1434: Foolishness

"You almost refreshed my impression of you." In Luoxia Palace, Lann coldly looked at the weary Veltrest. "Previously, I thought you were a clear-minded person."

Lann and Veltrest sat face to face at the main and guest positions of a desk respectively.

The blue-clothed Iron Guard captain Vernon Roche and a female squad leader sat at another table behind, having a simple, filling lunch.

Allowing the guards to eat behind him while discussing matters was not surprising for Veltrest.

But Lann could hardly imagine that a serious guy like Vernon Roche would tolerate such subordinates.

This female was a blue-clothed Iron Guard, but her similarity to Roche seemed only to be the blue armored uniform.

Short golden hair with eye shadow, brazenly open chest, under the blue-clothed Iron Guard’s cotton armor was a common linen undershirt.

However, the neckline of this undershirt seemed almost to reach the navel.

This dressing style was even more open than that of most female warlocks.

Compared to the lascivious style of female warlocks, she was more like a rebellious wild child, though her figure was quite appealing.

At this moment, listening to Lann’s unapologetic words to Veltrest, this female blue-clothed Iron Guard was gulping wine to wash down the sandwich while barely containing her laughter.

As the superior, Vernon Roche first glanced at Lann and Veltrest seated on either side of the desk, then turned back to glare fiercely at his subordinate.

"Quiet! Shut your mouth and eat your food, Weis! Weren’t you complaining about hunger on the way?"

The chatter of the two blue-clothed Iron Guards did not affect the conversation at the desk.

"We were deceived! By Enshir! By Viggo Fortez! Those two bastards!"

Veltrest still had the demeanor of a middle-aged man in his prime. Yet, faced with his clearly restrained angry words, Lann merely watched coldly.

"How novel." Lann said calmly, "A king, you don’t believe what your subordinates tell you is always the truth, do you? They don’t speak the truth to you, do you think your enemies would bare their hearts to you? Are you insane?"

"What? Do you expect Enshir to inform you of his strategic deployments for the next few months?"

"I’m not that naive, Lann!" Veltrest’s eyes under the crown were tired and murky, clearly he hadn’t slept well in a long time. "You don’t have to be so harsh."

"I admit, we underestimated the Niflgaard people’s intelligence advantage within us."

Veltrest sighed.

"They’ve been promoting their civility for nearly a century, one Sodden Mountain battle won’t change the Northern People’s impression of the Southern ’civilization’."

"But what else can we do? We’re forced with no choice!"

"They seduce our guilds, merchants, and craftsmen all favor the South, even farmers believe life is better in the South!"

"Our citizens want to surrender, if we don’t fight now, there will be no chance later!"

"You know? It’s not just merchants and artisans, even..."

"Even priests, astrologers, missionaries, unknown mystics are propagating?" Lann coldly looked at Veltrest, finishing his words for him without waiting.

"Then you think it’s over? If you don’t act now it’ll be too late? Internal division will arrive faster than battlefield outcomes?"

Veltrest said defiantly, "On the battlefield, we still have the possibility to fight, but if we don’t fight, will we just watch the situation worsen?"

"You’re collapsing, and Enshir is not?"

Lann directly challenged the king of Temeria.

"He’s intent on advancing north, are the merchants in his country united in support? Do the nobility pressed into submission agree?"

"So much land already conquered, no time and resources to manage, turn war zones into production, earn back the money invested in war, he’s already moving further north, do you think Niflgaard’s merchants don’t want him dead?"

"Enshir has yet to marry a legitimate Niflgaard noblewoman as queen per Niflgaard tradition, do you think these traditional nobles have no doubts watching him? Will doubt not turn into murderous intent?"

"He was an exiled prince, returning to Niflgaard by overthrowing the usurper, did he wipe clean the nobles loyal to the usurper then? What are those people’s standings now?"

A series of questions, Lann calmly and unhurriedly interrogated, causing Veltrest’s expression to twist.

The two blue-clothed Iron Guards behind also dared not speak more, even the sound of eating was greatly subdued.

Finally, the Demon Hunter just snorted coldly.

"You only see your crisis, but not Enshir’s troubles. That’s because you lack strategic confidence."

"But even lacking strategic confidence, you dare to easily devise war plans, that’s tactical arrogance!"

"Without overarching strategic determination, timid in the grand scheme, arrogant in the specifics!"

Lann tilted his head looking at Veltrest, who could barely raise his head.

"This matter... was initiated by Redania’s Vizimir, wasn’t it? Humph, he died impeccably."

Back on the night of the Sandy Island coup, in her haze Ciri had already divulged news of the King of Redania’s death, felled by a half-elf assassin’s sharp weapon.

This was one of the reasons Philippa Eilhart immediately extricated herself that night.

She had to rush back to Redania’s capital, Crito, troubled by a king’s assassination and political instability.

"At this point, say whatever you like." King Veltrest sighed deeply, "But the Niflgaard people are advancing rapidly, and we need support. We need a powerful force that can defeat them."

"There is no support," Lann said coldly to him, "nor is there any power."

"What?"

King Veltrest couldn’t help but blurt out.

Yet Lann’s expression remained unchanged.

"You heard what I said, I will not take action now. Or rather, even if I do, the situation won’t improve."

As he spoke, Lann leaned forward, staring at the King of Temeria.

"Because within the North, there is still pettiness and hesitation!"

"You only focus on igniting war, yet you haven’t even achieved a united front internally! Continuing to fight like this, I can certainly secure local victories, but it won’t help the long battle line!"

"Just like the last Sodden battle!"

The Sodden battle in the previous north-south war was different from the decisive, war-ending battle of Sodden Mountain.

That battle took place when Lann was still with the refugee group within Sintra.

The Northern Countries gathered their superior forces, only to be utterly defeated by the lesser forces of the Niflgaard Legion on the border of Sodden.

The lack of unified command, along with the internal conflicts and petty minds between countries, turned their superior forces into a burden for the battle.

"But the war has already started, what else do you want to do..."

King Veltrest furrowed his brows deeply, the table echoing with his pounding. Yet halfway through his words, he stopped, seemingly pondering.

Lann remained seated calmly in the enlarged chair, watching him.

"Working for the Goddess or the Demon. Why are you looking at me like you’ve seen a ghost? Admit it, you already had your suspicions, didn’t you?"

"God?" King Veltrest looked at Lann with an expression as serious as discussing war, "They exist? Not just mythical creatures? Not the ramblings of fools?"

"You want a definitive answer on human faith from me? Then you first need to go to a proper theological academy, and first clarify your definition of ’god’ in your eyes."

Lann impatiently waved his hand.

"I advise you not to care too much about these things. After all, you’ve lived so long, how many times have you seen them really intervening? They don’t meddle in ordinary matters."

"But I must emphasize to you, King Veltrest."

Lann frowned, looking at the king across the table.

"I like the approach of doing things perfectly, but your strategy in starting this war and the subsequent responses are so crudely stupid they make me want to vomit!"

"First resolve the internal divisions of the Northern Countries!"

"I have to remind you, based on my information, Codwin’s army has already gathered at the border between Yaden and Codwin. But they don’t seem to plan on directly entering Yaden to fight the Niflgaard people, instead, they’re halting at the border for a rest."

"Think of Henselt with that ravenous boar look! What does he intend to do?"

After finishing, Lann didn’t linger. Leaving behind a startled King Veltrest and the Blue-clothed Iron Guard.

Things are just as Lann said, if the North cannot achieve unity in war, even a temporary one, then even if he begins to take action, the effect would not be as good.

As long as they know he is going to act, Niflgaard basically will not seek a large-scale battle like the previous Sodden Mountain battle that stakes everything on it.

Instead, they would try to avoid such a situation from occurring.

The scattered troops would significantly weaken Lann’s handling efficiency.

At present, at least Meno Kuhorn still remembers his warning.

And King Veltrest should take advantage of his time away to straighten out the northern situation.

So that when he returns, things would be much more convenient regardless of how they go.

Holding onto the frustration for war, the anger at the tragedies caused by war, and the faint urge from the depths of his genes for war and perfect resolution.

Time is running out, and Lann, along with Rong Buqiu and Qilin, once again set on the journey to the Otherworld.

The perfectionist side of Lann’s genes urges him to promptly and decisively resolve everything.

However, his rationality, forged through compulsory education and training, tells him: pursuing perfection in everything will ultimately not be perfect.

The internal entanglements and conflicts of the Northern Countries have long been established.

How can he miraculously save them again and again in the north-south wars? It merely postpones and suppresses the problems.

War is a cruel forge that shapes sharp blades.

It is indeed inhumane, but it can also inspire progressive thoughts and technologies.

With this mindset, Lann and his companions, in this increasingly cold late autumn, entered the Celestial Sphere Convergence Rift, resembling a shattered mirror in the sky.