The Witcher: Lord of the Empire

Unfortunately, the ceremony between the princess and her knight did not last long, as soon a knock was heard at the door, breaking the atmosphere.

[Knock! Knock! Knock!]

Ciri wrinkled her nose in dissatisfaction. "Geralt and the others have left. Could those be your brothers from the Viper School?"

Lann shook his head. "If it was Kolgrim and the others, they would not knock on the door at all."

"Then it must be Vesemir, probably something to do with your Order of Witchers." Ciri patted Lann's hand. "Go, knight, complete your mission, for Cintra!"

Lann shook his head and chuckled.

When he opened the door, they were both surprised to see that it was not any of the people they thought.

Before them stood a witcher dressed in a cotton robe, immaculate and neat. His hair, tied back in a perfectly done bun, contrasted with his rustic attire. Despite being indoors, he was wearing iron bracers, for reasons known only to him.

The moment their gazes met, they both looked down almost at the same time, focusing on each other's breasts.

Two medallions with the Griffin emblem hung from their necks.

"Coën?" Lann recognized him at first glance. There were no other witchers from the Griffin School who frequented Kaer Morhen apart from him.

Coën, with his thick beard and rugged demeanor, exuded an aura of confidence. Yet he also had an elegance learned from Keldar, which gave him a calm and reliable presence, someone one could instantly trust.

"You must be Lann." Coën smiled as he pulled the corner of a notebook out of his coat. "Master Keldar has told me much about you. I knew you would come to Kaer Morhen today, so I decided to return early."

[Griffin School Contact Notes], Jerome can dig out two copies from the snow pile, there is no reason why Keldar, who has been guarding Kaer Seren, doesn't have one. It is only natural to give it to his own disciples.

Coën took a look inside Lann's room and joked: "Am I coming at a bad time?"

"No, you are here at the right time." Ciri shot out of the room like a gust of wind. Coën has been one of Ciri's swordsmanship teachers during this period. His teasing eyes made Ciri a little unbearable.

"I have to go back to continue my potion class. Yennefer can't wait any longer. Please help me introduce Kaer Morhen to Lann~"

She screamed as she ran down the hallway, her voice echoing in the air.

Lann and Coën couldn't help but laugh as they watched her disappear.

"We all like her very much." Coën commented, looking towards where Ciri had gone. "She is very sensible and hardworking."

Although it was Ciri who was being praised, Lann's mood also became better.

Lann stepped back and made an inviting gesture. "Come in, please. I think we have a lot of things to talk about."

"I don't usually have much communication with my master." Coën commented with a smile. "So when he does, I know something important has happened. But I never imagined it would be something as big as this: rebuilding the Griffin School and the Order of Witchers using an entire kingdom as a base... It's..." He looked up at the sky, sighing. "It's something I would never have imagined."

"I heard rumors about you earlier, Lann, but you were not a 'lion' at that time. Your ballads and songs can be heard in any big city in the North, and people believe that you will become the first knight in the North in the future. Unfortunately, the news of your death came out a few months later, and after a while - the news became more and more outrageous."

The most outrageous rumours must have been about things like 'the return of the dead' or 'the flag of the three lions granting power'.

Coën said with an incredible expression: "But the most outrageous news was brought by Ciri. She told me that you are also a witcher of the Griffin School. I was really shocked at that time."

Lann stood up and walked around the room. On the bedside table he found a jug of fresh water. Apparently the room was already equipped with everything necessary.

He poured a glass for himself and another for Coën, who thanked him with a smile.

"I hear Ciri has been training with you in swordplay, how is she doing?" Lann asked. "In a few years she will be the queen of Cintra, and the task of rebuilding will fall on her shoulders."

"She's doing well. She's very hard-working, kind and so mature that it sometimes breaks my heart,. Coen said.

Lann hid his smile behind his glass. "Are you willing to help her?"

Coën did not respond directly. Instead, he turned and stared into Lann's eyes.

After three seconds of silence, he smiled.

"Lann, you don't have to test me. We all know that even as Ciri grows up, she will still listen to you. And to resurrect the Order of Witchers, you will be the one to lead the union of several schools."

"And if you want a definite answer, then - I am willing." He drank the entire contents of the glass, imitating the gesture of someone drinking wine. "Whether it's to fight for the North or for the Order of the Witchers, count on me."

Lann smiled brightly. "I am very happy that you joined."

The two shook hands firmly, and at last Lann had another member of the Griffin School at his side.

In such a harmonious atmosphere, Lann suddenly thought of something.

"Coën, Keldar doesn't want to go far from Kaer Seren either, does he? He always seems to stay near Kovir. My master is even more exaggerated, he doesn't even want to leave Kaer Seren."

"Do you think there is a way to trick them both down?"

Coën remained thoughtful.

"I haven't been back to Kaer Seren yet, because I haven't met Master Jerome yet. But yes, it is a problem... I've tried several times to convince my master to go out and relax, but he always refuses."

Shaking off those memories, Coën became serious. "I think we can plan this issue well."

"Of course." Lann nodded.

...

For the rest of the day, Lann stayed in the room to discuss with Coën. They had both heard about each other for a long time but had never met in person before.

Now, finally face to face, they felt like they had met too late.

Their conversations were varied: the Giffin School's fighting technique, plans to rebuild the Griffin School, how to convince their teachers to leave their shelters, etc.

As the sun set, their talk ended, although there was still much left to say.

The witchers who had gone out hunting finally returned.

The mountains were full of prey. Aside from the usual rabbits and squirrels, snow wolves, brown bears, and even forktails could also be found.

For a meal, the witchers wouldn't dare mess with a forktail, but they did bring back a bear. With moss and mushrooms gathered from the snow, there was enough for a hearty dinner.

"The Wolf School is very hospitable, everyone here is a good companion." Coën commented. "They always welcome witchers from other schools who want to spend the winter at Kaer Morhen. Although, nowadays, it seems that only the Gryphons and Vipers that you brought can come here."

Lann smiled.

The wood was soon thrown onto the fire, the grills and pans were prepared, and the aromas of soup and roast meat filled the castle, announcing the start of dinner.

A long table, large enough for twenty people, was placed in the center of the hall. The Wolf School had not had so many guests in a long time.

Vesemir sat at the head of the table, and Lann and Ciri sat near him. As for the others, the seating order was messed up. In fact, if there were no guests, they would not use the table for dinner.

Lann looked at Triss, who gave her a sweet smile. Seeing that Ciri did not let go of Lann's hand, the sorceress decided not to approach him.

Vesemir raised his glass and proposed to start the dinner. "First, let us thank those who brought the prey."

Everyone stood up very cooperatively and raised their glasses with a sense of ceremony.

"I don't think I've introduced you to the guys from Wolf School yet." Vesemir said, looking at Lann.

Faced with Vesemir's question, Lann smiled and said: "Even though it sounds strange, I already know them quite well."

Vesemir raised his eyebrows. "It's because of the Elder Blood, right? I don't know much about it, but it seems that it can give you the physique of the source of magic, and the source of magic has a certain degree of predictive ability. Ciri has fully demonstrated this ability to us during this period."

"You can understand it this way." Lann smiled.

The four members of the School of the Wolf were more than familiar to any player of The Witcher Series from Lann's previous life. And as their name suggests, the Wolves were incredibly close-knit, willing to give their lives for a brother in arms.

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