The Witcher: Lord of the Empire

"In recent times, our land has been attacked, our homes and our people have faced unimaginable threats. Like you, I have lost almost all of my family; and so I know that fear may simmer in your hearts, and the flame of vengeance may burn brightly, until the day we drive the Nilfgaardians from our land."

"I am aware of my young age and limited experience. I am honored to receive the loyalty of you brave warriors. Today, therefore, I command you to respect and follow our advisor Mousesack as if he were myself..."

Ciri stepped back and gently pulled the surprised old druid forward.

All the people applauded for this. Mousesack had already won the hearts of the people and became an inseparable part of the people of Cintra today.

"And respect and follow our Marshal Vissegerd..." Ciri said, indicating the old marshal with a gesture of her hand.

The soldiers who had arrived with Vissegerd burst into cheers.

"And also respect and follow to our..."

Finally, Ciri stepped back and, with a radiant smile, stood behind Lann.

"...to our Duke Lannister."

After the imposing declaration, Ciri laughed softly and playfully behind Lann.

Both of them ignored the applause and cheers at that moment.

Lann, with a confused expression, turned and looked at the smiling Ciri. "Now? Is it really necessary at this point?"

"I didn't plan on it being now. I thought I'd do it all at once when we restore the kingdom." Ciri murmured in a cheerful and somewhat childish tone. "But I heard that when you went to Pontar to meet other kings before, you encountered a lot of difficulties because of your title... So I'll give you the highest title first. Anyway, it's just a title. There is no matching territory to give you now, so it will be fine later..."

"According to protocol, there should now be an entourage, medals, guards, and ladies to help you dress in your ceremonial attire. Since I have none of that, you'll have to make do for now…"

When she finished, Ciri regained her solemn expression and raised her voice so that everyone could hear.

"Kneel before me, Duke Lannister!"

Lann suppressed a smile and turned to make sure both of their expressions were visible to the audience.

Ciri stepped forward, unsheathing Lann's sword Aerondight with one clean stroke. The golden runes glowed as they met the sunlight, making Lann's blonde hair shine brightly.

Yennefer, watching the scene, whispered in an amused tone to Geralt: "He's quite handsome… surprisingly handsome."

Ciri was also momentarily dazzled by the brightness and forgot what to say next.

Then an iron-gloved hand gripped the sword by the blade: it was Lann. Carefully he placed the sword on his shoulder and proclaimed loudly: "Before the emblem of the Lion, I swear today to fulfill my duties as Duke. I will protect and preserve the honor and prestige of the royal family, and I will be faithful to the memory of my ancestors and to my own honor."

"I give my life to expel Nilfgaard and restore our kingdom. I will protect the rights and interests of our people and defend my princess with my life."

"I will serve the heroes who, in the past and in the future, fight for this land, allowing us all to enjoy the tradition and glory of Cintra."

"I swear to always be loyal to Cintra and the royal family. I will honor my promises and be a Duke worthy of respect."

As Lann swore, all of Brokilon fell silent.

Ciri finally snapped out of her trance and, as she turned to the audience to say a few words, realized that she didn't need to say anything as everyone erupted in cheers as soon as Lann finished speaking.

...

Inside the city lord's residence in the city of Brokilon, Ciri hugged Lann's arm and protested: "Why does everyone applaud you more? I'm the princess!"

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

Lann replied lightly: "Maybe because yesterday I defeated the best... well, dozens... maybe hundreds of their best soldiers."

Ciri choked. Then she wrinkled her nose: "Forget it, I'm not that strong yet... But your Order of the Lion is so loyal it's almost scary. Aren't they afraid of losing their voice? They almost swept through the formation to get close to the dais, and even the villagers of Brokilon joined in the shouting!"

She pounded the table in frustration. "The voice of swearing to me is so low, and the cheers for your canonization are so loud, do they still have me as a princess in their eyes!"

Lann was writing documents, but the ink and paper on the table shook twice with Ciri's movements, and almost all of the previous work was wasted. He had no choice but to smile and hug the angry princess.

Ciri, in reality, just wanted to get Lann's attention and wasn't really angry, so she rested her head on his chest and noticed that he, with one hand, was stroking her hair while with the other he was writing documents.

"I'm not talking to you anymore. I'm leaving with Geralt!"

"Why are you looking for him?"

Ciri was now angry, but she still replied: "I like this armor, and I want to ask if I can keep it."

Lann laughed softly. "It's best to wear it only as ceremonial attire. On the battlefield or in difficult terrain you wouldn't be able to move."

"I don't care. If it doesn't work, I'll just put it in your storage space. You can take it out whenever I want to use it!"

Ciri ran out of the study to find Geralt. The sound of House greeting the princess could be heard from outside.

Then one of the servants gently closed the door that the princess had left open when she left.

…

Meanwhile Lann was preparing to go to Skellige.

Although the existence of King Bran and Eist make Skellige his ally, the unique political system of the archipelago also makes it impossible for him to get any help at this time. If he wants Skellige to help him wholeheartedly, he would need to carry out some persuasion work, as he had done in Temeria and Redania.

This process would take time, so before leaving, he had to resolve the pending matters in Brokilon.

He had entrusted the three rock trolls brought from Kaer Morhen to Mousesack. The druids had unique methods of dealing with these intelligent creatures, although their intelligence was limited. With their help, the pace of construction work in the territory would surely speed up considerably.

Lann then decided to leave most of the Viper School's witchers behind in Brokilon, taking only Kolgrim with him. People like Letho would be a wasted resource if he only used them as high-level thugs.

As the leader of the Viper School, Letho possessed a keen political instinct, and Lann planned to have him remain in Brokilon for a time, with duties assigned by Mousesack, on a rotating basis to familiarize himself with the different facets of Cintra. In doing so, he would also help alleviate the shortage of talent in high-level administration in the kingdom.

Letho, for his part, had already expressed that staying with Lann could cause his combat skills to become rusty. Leaving him in Cintra would be an opportunity for him to improve his witcher skills and strengthen his assassination technique.

In Lann's future plan, Letho will shock the entire North.

Serrit and Auckes also stayed with Letho. They would continue their normal work as witchers, carrying out errands from time to time. Cintra would become the base camp for the witchers in the future; it was important that the population became accustomed to their presence.

Although Lann was respected by everyone, his image was far above that of the common people. The presence of two vipers among the people would allow both parties to understand each other better. In addition, the friendly atmosphere that Lann had fostered in Cintra made the two vipers feel comfortable there.

Of the three assistants, Lann decided that Levin would stay. He was assigned as Vissegerd's second-in-command. The troops Vissegerd had brought were dispersed and integrated with Brokilon's, which would help both forces adapt and create cohesion in combat. In Lann's absence, Levin would speak for the Lion.

Initially, Lann had considered leaving House in Brokilon, but when he saw the determination in his eyes as he held his sword, which he had named Swade, he changed his mind.

These were the most trivial aspects.

As for the important matters during Lann's absence: Vissegerd would continue training troops and keeping watch against Nilfgaard; Mousesack would be in charge of civil administration and any changes to local government positions; and the elderly steward Enns would handle finances and coordinate all of the territory's resources.

Compared to the sophisticated systems Lann remembered from his previous life, this administrative structure was too simple. However, for Cintra's current circumstances, it was sufficient.

At least it was much better than before, and in fact, Mousesack now had some free time to devote to magical research. Soon, he would go to Kovir to find Keldar to discuss hiring mercenaries.

…

Looking at the documents in front of him, Lann breathed a sigh of relief.

Hope to get what he wants in Skellige.

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