The Witcher: Make Witcher Great Again

Chapter 421 The First Northern War Breaks Out

However, none of the children brought from the orphanage in the past few years have backed down.

Although sacrifices were inevitable, the vast majority of children survived.

This caused the number of official Witchers under Lynn's command to swell to more than a thousand.

This was the result of Lynn setting extremely high screening thresholds.

Only those of upright character can undergo the trial of improving the grass.

This is also to prevent those who are not determined and easily swayed from becoming blinded by power.

As Lynn was on his patrol, he sensed that the communication box in the magic-patterned leather bag had been activated.

He left the training field, walked to a quiet corner, and took out a microphone.

From it came Fringilla's voice.

"The Syndicate, which is lurking in Nasser, reports that the Nilfgaardians are amassing a large force, and supplies are being transported to Nasser. This may be a sign of an invasion of Sintra."

“Let our men who remain in Sintra go to Mossak immediately and tell him the news. He knows what to do.”

After ending the call with Fringilla, Lynn put away the intercom.

finally come.

The First Northern War, which changed the course of the continent...

Lynn whistled.

Before long, a small black dot appeared in the distance.

The black spot appeared very quickly and kept getting bigger.

When it came over Lynn, it even blocked out the sun.

A huge shadow fell over the ground.

Amidst billowing dust, a monster the size of a small mountain landed on the ground, shaking the earth violently.

But this monster was none other than Deathclaw, the griffin cub that Lynn had once saved.

Now, so many years later, it has long since come of age.

Moreover, because it was always fed with the water of Brocleion, Deathclaw was much stronger than its kind.

Even though he spent most of the day wearing the adamantite armor that Lynn had Tyncel had custom-made for him, Deathclaw didn't feel tired.

Even now, standing up, she's nearly three stories tall, but when she sees Lynn, she still acts like a child, nuzzling her head against Lynn.

After interacting for a while, Lynn rode on Deathclaw's back.

"let's go."

Deathclaw let out a long howl to the sky, then flapped its wings and soared into the distance, quickly disappearing into the horizon.

An hour later, Lynn rode Deathclaw to Kangon City.

Although Lynn's title is Grand Duke of Isparden, he has spent more time in the Duchy of Humphries than in the Duchy of Isparden.

After all, Isparden is far away, while Humphries has a better location and is closer to Cowell.

However, Lynn was not afraid that the Isparden people would raise the banner of rebellion again.

On the one hand, in the previous battle, he had slaughtered all the Isparden nobles who had rebellious intentions. The remaining Isparden nobles not only had shared hardships with him before, but they also had to rely on the toll revenue from the Kowell caravan.

Since his interests align with Lynn's, there is naturally no reason for him to oppose Lynn.

On the other hand, Lynn recruited two thousand regular soldiers in Isparden.

In Isparden, where agriculture is the main industry and income is only half or even less than that of Cowell, Lynn gave the Isparden people who enlisted in the army the same treatment as Cowell soldiers and ensured that these soldiers' weekly wages would be paid on time and steadily.

This seemingly simple measure alone successfully weakened the resistance of ordinary people in Isparden to the foreign regime.

Bloodline? Legitimacy? Legality?
These are the kinds of things that are only discussed within aristocratic circles; ordinary people wouldn't talk about them so much.

They will support whoever gives them benefits.

Of course, that alone is not enough.

Because this army, composed entirely of Ispardens, could still be incited.

As a time traveler, Lynn knew all too well the importance of keeping a firm grip on the gun.

Therefore, Lynn assigned the two thousand Isparden soldiers to sergeants and officers who had followed him in conquering the entire Humphries Union and had later been promoted.

That way, you don't have to worry about the knife being too sharp and hurting you.

Because the knife is in one's own hand.

After landing in Kangon, Lynn handed Deathclaw over to the griffin keeper—a position he had created specifically for this purpose. In addition to feeding Deathclaw, the keeper was also responsible for taking care of the griffin eggs that Lynn had purchased through various channels.

Although it's highly unlikely that we'll be able to catch up with the war with Nilfgaard that's just around the corner, it's still very necessary to build an air force.

When Lynn found Fringilla at the Duke's mansion, she was discussing with Triss, Letho, Julia, and other officers Lynn had subsequently promoted, as she prepared to support the army in Sintra and to set up defenses along the border to prevent invasions from Redania or Cordwin.

After Lynn arrived, he also joined the discussions at the military conference.

Although Lynn is a vassal of Corviel, declaring war on Lynn is tantamount to declaring war on Corviel.

But Lynn also knew how unpopular he was with the conservatives as a Witcher lord.

In particular, a few years ago he moved the Aretusa Academy from Temuria to his own territory.

His Majesty the "Just One," Vizmir, was deeply wary of this.

Lynn dared not entrust the safety of his territory to the unspoken understanding among the nobles.

Because this tacit understanding is not unbreakable.

This can be seen from the massacre of French nobles by the British during the Hundred Years' War.

Therefore, Lynn decided to mobilize the 20,000 militiamen who trained once a week and deploy them along the border.

Lynn's territory is bordered by the Buina River (also known as the White Stone River when it is east of the Kestrel Mountains) to Redania and Cordwin.

If the enemy launches an attack, they will be punished by crossing the river.

If we only defend and don't attack, 20,000 militiamen are more than enough.

Of course, just in case, Lynn also left Fringilla and Triss behind.

He also asked Tisaya to keep an eye on things.

Although Lynn had promised Tisaya that he would not ask the female students of Aretusa to join the war.

But if war comes to your home, you can't hide anymore, can you?

After finalizing the territorial defense matters, we will move on to the next phase: how to support Sintra.

After some discussion, it was decided to gather three thousand regular soldiers from the Duchy of Humphries, two thousand regular soldiers from Isparden, and five hundred of the best witchers to form a legion.

First, enter Praxida Bay from the Bula River.

Then they headed south to Novigrad.

After resting in Novigrad, we will finally take a boat to Sintra.

The discussion about various details continued until evening before finally concluding.

The supplies for the Legion were stored in Kel'dra, the port of the Quetzalcoatl in the Skellige Islands.

Given Lynn's relationship with the Quit family, and the fact that they were going to support Sintra, the Quit family would likely not refuse.

The reason why supplies weren't transported directly to Sintra was twofold: firstly, Lynn's relationship with Calanther wasn't good enough yet; and secondly, in case the people of Sintra were uncooperative and collapsed at the first sign of trouble, just like in the original storyline...

Wouldn't the supplies transported to Sintra just be free money for the Nilfgaardians?
That won't work.

……

After the army and supplies arrived in Novigrad, Lynn rode Deathclaw to the territory of House Quett.

After all, no matter how good the relationship is with the Quete family, it is still necessary to give them a heads-up in advance.

……

The salty sea breeze swept across the cliffs of Kael'thas, making the swastika on Captain Blade's cloak flutter. The veteran, who had served the swastika family for over a decade, squinted, his gaze sweeping over the churning waves beneath the leaden clouds.

The cracks torn open on the cliff by last night's storm still smelled of fresh earth, but what unsettled him most at that moment was the sentry's trembling fingers as he pointed to the horizon.

"Captain! Thirty degrees northeast, over there, where the clouds have parted!"

The sentry's voice sounded like a taut bowstring.

Brad pulled a monocular telescope from his leather armor; the brass tube was still warm in his palm.

At first, he thought it was just another case of young people mistaking albatrosses for flying monsters—every year during the migration season, some novices would mistake albatrosses for flying monsters.

But when the black dot in the lens suddenly tore through the clouds and swooped down, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

"Freya."

The monocular telescope slipped from his fingers and struck the granite battlements with a crisp sound.

Brad had only ever heard of this creature in the poems of bards:
The lion's body is covered with iron-gray fur, and when its wings are spread, they cast large shadows on the ground. Its sharp claws gleam with a steely coldness in the sunlight.

"A griffin! It's a griffin!"

Kael'thas was thrown into chaos, and ripples of panic spread across the city walls.

The sound of iron boots striking stone bricks mingled with the clanging of weapons. As the archers charged onto the firing platform, they overturned the wooden barrels filled with arrows, and the white-feathered arrows tumbled in the morning light like pale ears of wheat.

Brad's roar quelled the commotion: "Archers, switch to armor-piercing arrows! Ballistae, fire the first volley! Wait until it's within two hundred yards—"

"Please wait a moment!"

The sentry suddenly grabbed the captain's arm. Brad turned to look at him and saw that his forehead was covered in sweat.

"There's another person on the griffin's back!"

Unlike the forked-tailed dragons Brad had encountered before, which circled in the air searching for prey, the approaching griffin swept over the harbor below and approached the castle on the cliff in a precise straight line.

As it swept past the last cumulonimbus cloud, everyone saw it:

The golden saddle gleamed on its back, and the black cloak, emblazoned with a jet-black and gold double-headed eagle emblem, billowed in the wind like a battle flag.

The garrison, who had been terrified just moments before, now fell into an eerie silence.

Brad could feel the expectant looks from the others.

"Put away the bows and arrows!" The old captain's hoarse roar cut through the stagnant air like a dull knife. "Go and fetch Lord Kratz, and have the cook bring out the smoked ham and mead!"

The soldiers stood frozen like puppets until Brad's bloodshot eyes swept across the crowd.

"Do I have to whip you before you'll move?" Veins bulged on his forehead, and the Quete family crest on his leather armor heaved violently with his chest. "That beast wants to stand! Clear ten meters of space for me!"

The armor on the griffin gleamed.

As the soldiers staggered back, the behemoth folded its wings and crashed to the ground like a comet.

In the instant the dust rose, a recruit was knocked to the ground by the blast wave—but this was clearly the result of deliberately restraining the force, otherwise it wouldn't have been just one recruit who lost his footing, but rather the entire squad on the city wall would have been swept away.

But just then, the knight riding on the griffin spoke.

"Deathclaw! If you keep fooling around, I'll cut off your food for three days!"

The once majestic beast immediately lowered its head, its wings obediently folded at its sides.

Then, from the fortress on one side of the city wall, came the muffled sound of iron boots pounding the ground.

A red-haired youth strode over, his solid muscles bulging as he wore chainmail.

"Lynn!"

When he saw the Witcher, Kratz's face lit up with joy, and he opened his arms wide, his chainmail clattering.

"Freya, it's so good to see you!"

Lynn leaped off the griffin's back and embraced Kratz tightly.

"Me too, Kratz, me too."

Kratz stroked his newly grown beard and laughed, when he suddenly noticed the giant beast stealing nibbles on the decorations on the flagpole.

"I have never seen a witcher tame a monster as his mount, especially a griffin."

“That’s a long story.” Lynn flicked his finger at the griffon’s sensitive spot behind its ear, and Deathclaw immediately spat out the ornament it had been biting into, letting out a pitiful whimper. “But we have plenty of time to catch up, don’t we?”

……

The Quest family's banquet hall was brightly lit by mountain-shaped candlesticks and torches, but only Lynn and Kratz sat at the oak dining table, which was over ten meters long.

The candlelight cast a flickering glow between the roast suckling pig and the apple pie, while the wooden wine glasses held ripples of dark red.

The crisp sound of the silver fork striking the porcelain plate echoed through the empty hall.

But as Lynn moistened her throat with fruit wine, a sickening sound of bones cracking suddenly came from the shadows.

Behind the pillars, shrouded in shadow where the firelight couldn't reach, a massive Deathclaw was tearing at a bloody cow leg.

The serrated claws can easily crush shinbones.

However, as if sensing something, it suddenly stopped eating, raised its golden pupils, and looked at Kratz, who had looked away and was trying to appear calm.

Even though Kratz already knew from Lynn that the terrifying monster was the Witcher's mount, the young head of the Quete family still couldn't help but tremble slightly when the griffin's gaze locked onto him.

Lynn put down his glass, smiled, and pretended not to notice Kratz's embarrassment, saying casually, "I heard the Nilfgaardians have launched an attack? Is Sintra still there?"

Kratz was astonished: "Where did you know that?"

Lynn smiled but said nothing.

"Fine, fine, if you don't want to talk about it, then forget it."

Kratz picked up a napkin and wiped his face.

Then they talked about the situation in Sintra:

Several years ago, Calanther took Mossack's advice and built a fortress in the Manada Valley, leaving hundreds of regular soldiers to guard it.

A week ago, Sintra suddenly received a warning from an unknown force that Nilfgaard would soon invade Sintra.

At first, the nobles in Sintra did not take it seriously, thinking it was just alarmist talk.

Mossack again felt it necessary to reinforce the Manada Valley fortress.

In the end, Calanther listened to the advice once again and sent another three hundred soldiers to the Manada Valley fortress.

When the Nilfgaardian army attacked the Manada Valley fortress, these eight hundred soldiers bought Sintra the most precious and crucial time.

This prevented the black-clad army from overwhelming the Manada Valley fortress with sheer numbers in the first place, and instead forced them into a war of attrition.

And Calanthe truly deserves to be called the Queen of Sintra.

Upon learning of the dire situation at the Manada Valley fortress, she left her husband, Ist Tursek, in the capital to await the arrival of armies from various lords.

She herself immediately led thousands of royal troops to the front lines to support the Manada Valley fortress.

The Manada Valley fortress suffered heavy losses under the fierce attack of the Nilfgaardian army.

Despite relying on the fortress for defense, the number of defenders was ultimately too small.

Under the relentless onslaught of the Nilfgaardian army, the defenders gradually lost control of the outer walls and could only retreat into the inner city to put up a last stand.

But just as the entire garrison was about to be wiped out and the fortress was about to fall into the hands of the Nilfgaardians, Calanthe's royal army arrived.

A fierce battle broke out between the two sides.

In Sintra, morale was high thanks to the Queen's personal command of the troops.

On the other hand, the Nilfgaardians, on the one hand, were exhausted from days of fighting, and on the other hand, they had already captured the outer wall, and many soldiers had become complacent, thinking that they had actually occupied the fortress.

Even if the remaining defenders are still putting up a stubborn resistance, how long can they hold out if they are cut off from water and food?
The Nilfgaardian soldiers had no idea that the reinforcements from Sintra would arrive so quickly.

One side launched a prepared attack, while the other side was completely unprepared and had just experienced a bloody battle.

The result is self-evident.

The Nilfgaardian army, which had finally managed to breach the valley fortress, was driven out of the fortress again by the Sintra army.

(End of this chapter)