Bear School Astartes

Lann led the pack horse, following behind Margarita, heading towards the tavern by the murky water.

The blonde beauty ahead had a face caught between joy and annoyance.

Lann could understand Margarita's feelings. After all, back in Airetusa, she had clearly stated that if their journey to Vizima didn't go smoothly and the enemy was too strong, they should turn back.

She hoped Lann would prioritize his own safety.

But the young man, without a word, went ahead and annihilated Count Steza's entire manor, which certainly wasn't in line with such advice.

Although for Airetusa Academy, this only highlighted Lann's invaluable worth.

But when it came to treating Lann, Margarita would never prioritize her position as the Airetusa dean. So, as Dean Airetusa, she's instead angry at Lann's actions.

As the two arrived at the tavern entrance, Belengar, who appeared completely unscathed, came forward to greet them.

"Whoa! You've been out for over ten days, where'd you get this big fellow?"

The old Demon Hunter stood with his arms crossed by the wall, watching as the interdimensional pack horse pathetically paced with a giant jawbone.

The jawbone, although showing clear signs of weathering, still exuded a menacing aura with its shape and size.

The jawbone's ends were as long as the entire horse, and the pack horse wasn't even panting, indicating the bone's light weight.

"This shape is...a Dragon Bone?! Such a huge dragon, oh my heavens?!"

Though he lacked the talent for combat adaptability and thus fled from the Demon Hunter profession, he had undergone the systematic teaching of the Wolf School.

Even if he hadn't killed a dragon, at least he had seen monster illustrations.

Belengar, seemingly oblivious to the expression on Margarita's face at the front, leaned towards Lann to examine the jawbone of Balerion.

But as he leaned closer, the old Demon Hunter lowered his voice, raising a corner of his mouth.

"You rascal, hooked up with Marguerite Lox Andelie, huh?! She was in a bad mood waiting for you these past few days, you know? Let me tell you, everyone knows female warlocks are hard to deal with, but if you just pin her to the bed later..."

Lann's mouth twitched faintly.

He really thought Belengar came over to see the Dragon Bone!

So you came over to play the role of a love assistant!

And what kind of archaic courtship method is that?!

...Margarita can hear all of this!

The bodily mutation female warlocks undergo from Chaos Magic Power isn't as deep as that of Demon Hunters', but when they use magic, they can be even more perceptive than Demon Hunters.

At this moment, Lady Margarita was watching Lann with an amused expression.

That look wasn't one of anger at being talked about behind her back, but rather a sort of...ready-to-try?

Lann was a bit uncertain...as long as she wasn't angry, it was fine!

The young man avoided Margarita's intense gaze, leading the pack horse to the stable.

Then he sat down at the tavern's long table with Belengar and Margarita.

"I thought you'd be gone by now."

Lann asked Belengar while drinking a cold Codwin dark beer.

The beer was chilled by Margarita's own magic.

Belengar, however, didn't enjoy the luxury of magic-chilled beer and was sipping a room temperature one, grimacing.

"I wanted to leave, but..."

Speaking, the old Demon Hunter glanced at the Magic Academy dean sitting beside Lann.

Lann nodded silently.

When he went to expel Da Gun, he only told Belengar he would escort Alia out, not expecting he'd make a trip to another world himself.

His sudden disappearance left Belengar, the last person he contacted, unable to leave.

If Margarita didn't keep him grounded, Triss would probably come and hold him down too.

"Sorry, buddy. For holding you up." Lann apologized as he clinked glasses with Belengar.

The old Demon Hunter seemed unconcerned.

"Guys like us got nothing but time. You can't really waste it."

"By the way, how's Triss doing?"

Having thought of Triss earlier, Lann couldn't help but ask.

He'd mysteriously disappeared for over ten days; Vizima's situation shouldn't have changed much in such a short time, right?

Theoretically, it shouldn't, but when Lann considered the red-haired female mage's passion for politics and... obtuseness, he couldn't help but worry a little.

Belengar opened his mouth, but Margarita's slightly hoarse voice quickly took over the conversation.

"Merigold, she's thriving in Vizima. However, her close relationship with you has pros and cons. Besides looking for you, I came here as a neutral magic power invited by the Temerian Royal Family, to dismantle the teleportation coordinate Merigold left in this village."

"You and Veltrest agreed on 'not entering Vizima,' so they won't leave such problems like a portal. If Merigold wants to come over, she'll have to ride a horse, take a ship, or gamble with random portals."

Lann found it strange to hear that.

"Something seems off, Rita. Triss is from Airetusa, right? Inviting a neutral magic power, shouldn't they call Ban Aide Academy then?"

Airetusa is all female warlocks, while the famous Ban Aide Academy is all male warlocks.

Margarita elegantly raised a seductive eyebrow.

"True, Merigold indeed hails from Airetusa, but right now, everyone knows she wants to sleep with you. Meanwhile, Veltrest's intelligence agency knows even further... that I also want to sleep with you. So, yes, my stance is definitely neutral."

"Cough, cough!"

The female warlock's bold words caused Lann to choke.

"Rita!"

"Alright, alright, don't act like a shy boy who's never had meat, weren't you talking about trying it with an Enchanting Demon back then?"

Hearing this, Belengar from across the table looked at the young Demon Hunter with an admiration for a brave man.

It was the second time he looked at Lann with such admiration, the first being after Lann saved him from Steza Manor.

It seemed that back when he was active as a Demon Hunter, Enchanting Demons, who drained men's life force, were a genuinely terrifying thing.

He couldn't imagine such a way of playing.

Lann could only awkwardly look aside.

"Is Veltrest's intelligence agency really that robust?"

"Why else? Why else would warlocks affiliate with kingdoms?"

Margarita casually waved her hand; while she wasn't interested in politics, she had some awareness.

"No Great Mage throughout history has ever controlled everyone's mind with spells, making society run according to their will. But kings achieved it with gold and titles. Who's truly pervasive, I don't need to say more, right?"

Lann re-evaluated that king who managed to find an inn.

He wasn't just openly bold, direct, and meticulous, but extraordinarily shrewd beneath the surface.

"Alright then, maybe I'll never meet these power-playing individuals in my life. Instead of discussing them... Belengar, you mentioned wanting to open a blacksmith shop, right? Meaning you have some confidence in your smithing skills?"

"Me?" Belengar was puzzled about why the conversation turned to him again, but he straightforwardly expressed.

"'Some confidence'? Kid, there aren't many people, even among dwarves, who have forged for as long as I have!"

Belengar's tone was full of confidence.

Lann nodded, then drew the Dragonbone Dagger gifted by Edd Stark from his lower back and placed it on the tavern table.

"Then please have a look at this."