The Witcher: Lord of the Empire

Lann didn't pay attention to the knights in the room, took a sip of wine and said calmly: “I’m sure you are fully aware of the purpose of my visit to you.”

Vizimir nodded slightly. "It's about the meeting of the kingdoms at Hagge Castle, right? You want to get allies for Cintra and recover the lost territories. I heard you met with Foltest earlier."

Lann nodded. "He is hostile to Nilfgaard, but he also has no good impression of Cintra. We can't reach harmony with each other."

Vizimir II looked at Lann and surprisingly comforted him: "Don't worry, Lannister. Redania is your friend. We made a mistake once, and Cintra was the consequence. The North cannot afford another mistake."

The king raised his hand, and the prince, who was temporarily serving as a cupbearer, lowered his head and poured wine for his father obediently.

He continued: "When our ancestors landed five hundred years ago, the elves refused to face the threat."

"Our ancestors took the land from them little by little, and they retreated again and again, always believing that it would be the last time, that the enemy would not continue advancing."

"Now it is our turn to face the threat, and we are the elves, while Nilfgaard is the invader."

"Calanthe was an impressive queen. Her sacrifice caught the attention of the North. At the Battle of Sodden Hill, our troops attacked Nilfgaard like wolves and mad dogs, avenging the lioness of the North."

"Without Calanthe's sacrifice, we would not have achieved that great victory."

Although his words were polite, he showed Lann enough respect.

Lann's expression turned sad. What he said next had nothing to do with diplomacy but was instead a sincere sentiment: "I just hope that my aunt can rest in peace, and I will give my life to protect Cintra."

"I firmly believe it, Lannister. And for that I respect you." Vizimir looked into Lann's lion eyes, as if seeking to confirm something. "The North cannot lose its gateway, that is why we need Cintra. This will be addressed in the talks with the Northern Kingdoms. Redania and Cintra will be friends."

"His wisdom and vision amaze me and fill me with gratitude." Lann responded enthusiastically, thanking him. “Cintra will always be Redania’s friend.”

Vizimir II nodded calmly, raising his glass in a toast. Lann reciprocated and they both drank the wine in one gulp.

"Facing Nilfgaard, the North should be integrated." Vizimir II's voice rose slightly, as if he were casually conversing. "I plan a new marriage with Foltest, this time between his daughter Adda and my son. What do you think?"

Lann looked at the little bald man. At least he could understand the age difference between the two parties in this marriage. Although the age difference is not that scandalous, it is at least within the normal range for this time.

If this matter really happened, Lann's only thought would be that he felt sorry for the little bald man.

Of course, Lann couldn't express his thoughts. He could only express his opinion tactfully. "You also know that the communication between King Foltest and me was not pleasant, so I cannot understand his thoughts. But I agree with your opinion: in the face of Nilfgaard, the North must unite."

If the marriage partner mentioned by Vizimir II was Ciri, then Lann would probably fall out again on the spot, but Adda... I'm sorry, it was just a simple exchange of interests, mutual exchange of needs.

Vizimir II nodded with satisfaction. He didn't really seek Lann's opinion, he just needed his endorsement on the issue of Northern unity.

After all, if there were an all-out war with Nilfgaard, Cintra, as the Northern Gate, would be the most affected. With Lann's stance, Vizimir felt more confident.

Looking at the young Lann, Vizimir II sighed in his heart, it would be great if his son could look like this in the future.

"Do you have any plans after this? Are you going straight to Hagge Castle, or are you planning to visit Henselt in Kaedwen? I don't like to speak ill of others, but your chances of convincing Henselt are pretty low."

Lann felt a slight twitch on her face, she had already heard too much criticism of the king of Kaedwen.

"If you allow me, I would like to go to Novigrad." Lann said. "I have dwarf friends in my team who want to do business there, and I also have other friends who want me to bring a message there."

"I have always heard that this city is the largest city in the world and, without a doubt, the richest too, and I have always wanted to visit it."

Praising the king's city in his presence, Vizimir II was flattered. However, he suddenly remembered something, and, after a moment of reflection, he said: “If you go to Novigrad, I would like to ask you to do me a favor.”

Lann tilted his body slightly, showing that he was listening.

"The von Everec family, I don't know if you've heard of them. They are one of the Dynasties of Redania, and my ancestors have always treated them with respect."

"But their greed and lack of vision has bankrupted them several times."

"They have now formed a private force called the Redanian Free Company also known as the Wild Ones, and their actions are dangerously close to those of bandits. But I have no evidence to judge them."

King Vizimir showed a troubled expression. "As they are a dynasty of the kingdom, I cannot act too harshly against them, as that might unsettle other nobles. So, if you go to Novigrad, could you help me try to dissuade them?"

The system emitted a notification sound as the king spoke.

[Quest - Impartial Justice: Vizimir II is concerned about the armed forces within his kingdom, but fears that the identity of the other party will trigger a negative reaction among the nobles. His intelligence suggests that Novigrad is your destiny, so he wants to use your forty knights as his tool. But it won't cost you anything, since they were your goal anyway, right?]

Lann was obviously stunned. Why is everyone thinking about dealing with the von Everec family? Master Mirror wants to collect a debt, the king wants to stabilize them, and now the system gives him this mission.

But the information in the mission description made Lann worry. Redania's intelligence seemed to know too much about his plans.

Seeing Lann stunned, Vizimir II comforted him: "Don't worry, Lannister. Even if you don't want to get involved in these muddy waters, it won't affect our friendship. Redania will support Cintra."

Lann had already planned to face Olgierd von Everec, so he had no reason to decline. He said sincerely: ""Your friendship is the most valuable thing for Cintra, but I also know that friendship is built with reciprocity."

"You support Cintra, and I must reciprocate. Now I can only help you in these small matters, how could I refuse?"

"I don't know what level of 'persuasion' you expect me to use?"

Hearing Lann's question, Vizimir II touched his chin with his fingers, as if he was thinking.

The crackling of wood in the fireplace seemed to reflect the sparks of his thoughts. Vizimir II did not give clear instructions, but his position did not allow him to be direct.

Lann wanted to hear his explicit words, because in diplomacy this was crucial.

But the one who broke the silence was someone else.

Radovid, who had been pouring wine for the two obediently, suddenly said: "The rebels should all be hanged or have their heads chopped off!"

Faced with his heir's abrupt intervention, Vizimir II reprimanded him for his behavior, scolded him for his rudeness, and said in front of Lann that he would return and punish him.

Only it did not deny the plan proposed by Radovid in a real sense.

Lann looked at the father and son, and for a moment he couldn't tell whether the words he just said were the true feelings of the little bald man, or whether his father, Vizimir II, spoke bloody words through his son's mouth.

In such a strange atmosphere, Lann did not fail to intercede for Radovid with his father, arguing that a child's words should not be taken seriously and assuring the king that he would properly handle the matter of the von Everec family.

After reprimanding his son, Vizimir II was very satisfied with Lann's promise and also provided him with some help.

He handed Lann a coat of arms engraved with an eagle and said: "Novigrad is the founding place of the religion of Eternal Fire."

"This religion has not spread to Cintra, so you may not have heard of it, but this religion has considerable influence in the northern kingdoms."

"I've given them a lot of support. Take my coat of arms to their security officer, Chappelle, and he'll help you."

Happy for the extra help, Lann took the emblem and left.

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