Bear School Astartes-Chapter 864 - 847: Viggo Fortez

"And more importantly..."

Margaret fixed her gaze on Lann’s eyes.

"He’s currently at Airetusa."

"What? Airetusa is now admitting male sorcerers?"

Lann raised an eyebrow.

"No, our admissions still do not consider male sorcerers. After all, students will spend their entire youth at the academy, and even longer, to learn the mysteries of magic. When young, lustful individuals of the opposite sex come together, no one knows what might happen."

Margaret said expressionlessly.

"We don’t want to establish another infant care department at Airetusa."

The Demon Hunter was somewhat puzzled: "Female warlocks can get pregnant?"

"Of course they can. My grandmother even served as Tishaya’s assistant once!"

Margaret gave him a sidelong glance.

"But the entanglement with chaos magic power makes it extremely difficult for us to conceive, and the children born are likely to be deformed, mentally handicapped... That’s why Tishaya wrote ’The Poisoned Source,’ advocating that those controlling magic power should understand the necessity of sterility."

"We can and should enjoy sex and love, for it is natural. But these malformed children should not suffer in the world, nor disrupt the human gene pool."

"But back to the main topic... Viggo Fortez has come to Airetusa under the guise of ’further studies.’ We don’t admit male students, but a renowned Great Mage coming for further studies certainly has no reason to be rejected."

"And for him to come to a school nurturing female warlocks ’for further studies,’ I suspect it’s not just for the knowledge within."

Originally, Lann was prepared to bid farewell to Margaret and ride his qilin to Black Seagull Island on Vizima Lake.

But the female warlock’s words piqued his interest.

Viggo Fortez... that guy appeared like a celestial god controlling the astral phenomena when he was on the battlefield.

Though his presence was magnificent, it wasn’t as breathtaking as the activities of the Demon Hunter.

So, this morning, the Demon Hunter and Viggo Fortez met in the Hall of Glory at Airetusa.

Whether it was a coincidence or intentional, Lann had just been intrigued by him in the morning, and here he was by noon.

The Hall of Glory, specifically designed by Airetusa to showcase the process of magical development and significant historical events, is adorned on both sides with long corridors of documented oil paintings.

"I think you really should have withdrawn,"

Viggo Fortez was initially admiring these historical oil paintings, but soon turned to face Lann, offering a polite and courteous smile.

He appeared to be around thirty-five years old, extraordinarily handsome, with a robust and burly build.

He was dressed in a smart outfit with leather attire, riding breeches, tall boots, and he held a steel magic staff in his hand.

Only small, bean-sized candle lights flickered in the Hall of Glory, mere decorations for atmosphere adjustment; when truly needed for display, the hall would be lit with magic.

"Would you like me to ’light a lamp’?"

Viggo Fortez asked amiably.

"No, I’ve seen these paintings many times."

Lann said softly as he approached.

His silver hair under the dim lighting looked like a flowing stream of mercury.

When his face fully appeared before Viggo Fortez, Lann keenly perceived that the Great Mage’s breath faltered for a moment.

"I must admit, Sir Lann." He also noticed his own lapse and didn’t evade it but rather smiled candidly.

"Even having made what I thought was ample mental preparation, I’m still astonished by your... artwork-like visage."

He carefully chose his words in describing Lann’s appearance.

"But I think you’re not here just to see my face, are you?"

Lann stood beside him, turned his body, and gazed at the same painting hung in the corridor, speaking seemingly unconsciously.

The painting depicted some outstanding graduates of Airetusa Academy, many female warlocks representing the rise of female power in the wizarding profession.

There were many notable names on it, but the one still surviving was Tishaya de Veris.

It’s an old painting.

Faced with Lann’s question, Viggo Fortez did not answer directly.

His mental resilience was astonishing, for back then, he had witnessed firsthand what Lann did on the battlefield.

He personally experienced the aura and dominance that seemed to crush the battlefield.

The powerful army of Niflgaard that the people were proud of and used to suppress all directions appeared like a mass of meat awaiting dissection in the hands of this Demon Hunter.

No matter whether the meat contained brittle bones or fascia, to the steel-forged blade, it didn’t count as a qualified obstacle.

Among the survivors of the Niflgaard army, those who were close to Lann’s traces on the battlefield mostly developed strange ailments after the battle.

Whenever they heard the church bells ringing, these ailments triggered stress responses, leading to self-harm and frantic panic.

They claimed that the church bells were not holy but instead the shriek of the demon sword in the evil one’s hand.

The demon sword could slash and kill hundreds of knights in one blow, insatiable and unstoppable.

This group of veterans, due to their large numbers and their invaluable battlefield experience, attracted the attention of the medical association within Niflgaard even after the peace treaty was signed and prisoners were exchanged.

But despite this, Viggo Fortez still managed to remain calm and maintain steady breathing when dealing with Lann at such close quarters.

"I’m indeed curious about you, Sir Lann."

Their gazes were now fixed on the painting ahead, rather than on each other, like two genuine art enthusiasts at a painting exhibition.

"But please don’t lump me together with others, those ’others’ harboring greed and delusions. I must make this point clear."

"Mediocrities always assume that the lake’s reflection must be the entire sky full of stars."

"But I’m well aware that achieving excellence and surpassing the average line of one’s positional realm isn’t just relying on imitation."

"For those who manage to accomplish this, each has unique characteristics that cannot be replaced or learned by others."

Lann nodded indifferently. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"From what you say, it seems you’re quite familiar with the Demon Hunters’ ’average line.’ That’s truly surprising. After all, until recently, people like us were marginal groups, transparent as if invisible. Prominent figures seldom cared, especially someone of your stature... the youngest member in history of the Wizard Association."

"But you are also a prominent figure, in every sense of the word."

Viggo Fortez’s thinking was swift, enabling him to respond without much deliberation.

"During the peace negotiations of the North-South War, we utilized the prestige you left behind—please forgive us, the delegates didn’t have the chance to notify you at the time, but it was an incredibly effective measure back then—this also greatly influenced the swift conclusion of that tragic yet grand war."

"Anyone possessing such influence, whether a wizard, king, Demon Hunter, or even a beggar, must be recognized as an undeniable prominent figure."

"Historians, magic scholars, intelligence traffickers, kings, nobles... believe me, Sir Lann. Now even if a beggar claims to shake hands with you every day, he could rely on that hand to live a worry-free life."