Bear School Astartes-Chapter 92. Going Out for Investigation

"Woo! Hoo—"

Early in the morning, the Demon Hunter’s hand clenched tightly from a state of unconsciousness, gripping the edge of the bed.

It wasn’t until two seconds later that he slowly relaxed.

Looking at Lann’s expression, it was clear that he wasn’t feeling at ease at all.

"Damn it..."

His hand reached into his silvery strands of hair, pressing hard against his temples.

Although the knowledge memory between the strengthening surgeries wasn’t interconnected, memorizing all three at once still made Lann’s brain go numb.

Despite the numbness, a smile already appeared on the Demon Hunter’s lips.

Three surgeries, continuous in order, and capable of aligning with his current body.

The gain was undeniably significant.

There are strict sequential requirements in strengthening surgeries.

Many steps require the strengthened organs to provide nutrients or environmental support for the subsequent ones.

Much like if one lacked the "Bone Strengthening Apparatus," a chest cavity of mortal size wouldn’t be able to house the many future implants.

This meant Lann wasn’t just drawing "cards" from the sea of memory but an entire set that must fit the sequence!

"My lord, ready to wash up."

Alia entered from outside, carrying a large basin of water.

Upon entering, she saw Lann painfully rubbing his forehead, leading her to speak up with a worried expression.

"Are you still in pain? It’s been a few days already, why not see those warlocks?"

Lann stopped in self-abandonment; actually, no amount of rubbing would alleviate his brain symptoms, it was just a habit.

"It’s nothing serious... hey, if one wants to grow stronger, one must endure pain."

Although Alia acted nonchalantly, she was, in fact, very perceptive.

She could tell the Demon Hunter wasn’t enduring an illness, stubbornly pretending to be strong; instead, his self-abandoning words were strangely infuriating.

So she simply put down her concerns, rolled her eyes, and muttered.

"Pfft! If I could become a powerful knight, I’d endure any hardship!"

Lann had already moved to the other side of the room with the wash basin and began washing his face.

The little girl’s muttering didn’t escape his sharp ears.

"With your frail arms and legs, I can only say... alright, having dreams is never a bad thing."

Alia quickly covered her mouth, then glared angrily at Lann’s back.

She forgot how keen the Demon Hunter’s senses were, and those words were deeply hurtful!

"Don’t pout, you’re busy today. We’ve just arrived; you need to take care of Bopai. Remember to feed, groom, and take him out. We don’t know how long we’ll stay in Vizima, so you need to inform the innkeeper about what you need..."

With one hand wiping off his hands, Lann assigned Alia with plenty of tasks.

The little girl listened with crossed arms, her face full of reluctance.

"I want to go outside and fight! Even if it’s just watching you fight! I also have a sword, see, ’shing’!"

"No way, put that ’toothpick’ away, you wouldn’t even pierce soft armor easily. I don’t want to handle messy affairs upon returning, fighting is tiring enough. I’m leaving."

With those words, Lann, fully dressed, pulled up his hood and exited the room.

The tasks he assigned were certainly enough to keep Alia busy all day.

Before, when they were outdoors, letting the little girl run around was fine, but now in the city, she needed something to keep her tethered.

Otherwise, with her lively nature, who knew where she might wander off to?

Ignoring the shout of "This sword is called the needle" behind him, Lann made his way downstairs.

He bought two smoked fish sandwiches from the inn’s counter and tucked them into his cloak before heading out the door.

Two large smoked fish sandwiches, enough to fill a non-labor-intensive adult for a day, were devoured by Lann within a few steps outside the inn.

The coordination of genetic seeds with his body required raw materials and energy, making his appetite like a shredder.

This also explained why his hair and frame grew so rapidly.

Walking through the center of the trade district, the pristine streets and courteous, wealthy smiles seemed to add a touch of warmth to the sunlight.

The necklace around his neck swung, Lann wiped his mouth and reached into his alchemy pouch at the back of his waist.

The cone-shaped crystal timely transmitted a message.

"Lann, how did you sleep last night?"

The voice belonged to Triss within the Language of the Heart, prompting Lann to instinctively shake his still slightly dizzy head.

"Not bad, the inn you recommended was excellent. Judging by your voice, you had a good night as well?"

"Um...!"

The other side seemed taken aback by this greeting, awkwardly switching the topic.

"Keira and I are planning to pursue further directions in the official institutions today; where do you intend to start?"

Lann kept walking, transitioning from cobbled paths to gravel ones.

"While you investigate government bodies, I’ll delve into the lower tier—the dockworkers’ unions, dockside taverns, and such. No matter how well one manages things on paper, they can’t be physically involved in transporting goods all the time, right?"

"Your approach makes a lot of sense! Keira and I never considered this angle, but where can you find these clues, knowing nothing of the local? Honestly, although we’ve been in Vizima for a while now, we’ve never interacted with such groups."

Of course, since you’re all noble and stunning female warlocks, destined for royal balls, the commoners, and dockworkers are worlds apart for you.

Trekking across to the muddy ground, Lann’s eyes twinkled.

"No worries, I’ve found it already."

"Found what... hey?!

Inside the palace, Triss looked in dismay at the dimming Thousand-Mile Telescope in front of her.

This Demon Hunter... so decisive?!

Margaret had him collecting debts, right? Basically a mercenary.

Yet he seems more like a field commander now!

Lann bluntly cut off communication, striding towards a duo within the Temple District.

One was bared-chested while the other wore an open leather jacket over his upper body.

Both leaned against a wall at the street corner, lazily rubbing the grime from their necks.

It was easy to spot two distinct snake tattoos on their tattooed skin.

Matching the dockside gang managers perfectly.

Lann made no attempt to hide his presence, thus despite both hoodlums being half-asleep, they clearly saw a tall, hooded figure approaching them.

"What the hell do you want, you mutt? Get lost... Ugh!"

Before he could finish, Lann walked right between the two.

Unfaltering, his hands gripped both men by the neck, hoisting them into an alley like chicks.

The man in the left hand was first tossed aside, slamming his back against the wall before staggering back towards Lann under the recoil.

Still disoriented, he had little time to react before a boot enshrouded in armor struck his abdomen.

The immense force sent his upper body springing forward, even as his lower body lifted off the ground.

Much like in an action flick, he landed across the ground like a flattened toad.

Vomit, breakfast, and drinks... his stomach’s fermented stench filled the alley in an instant.

A man who thrived in gangs was treated like a mere plaything in Lann’s hands, quickly losing consciousness.

The rogue in the other hand witnessed the spectacle unfold.

Through this, his fierce expression had morphed into one of fear and trembling.

With a "thud," Lann pinned the other rogue against the wall.

The hood’s shadow rose slightly as Lann’s left hand cast a peculiar gesture, making magic light appear.

"Now, there are a few things you need to tell me, buddy."