[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-bear-school-astartes":3,"chapter-bear-school-astartes-bear-school-astartes-chapter-997":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Bear School Astartes",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1620820,2087,"Chapter 997 - 979: Toll Station on the River","bear-school-astartes-chapter-997",997,"\u003Cp>A simple and narrow wooden bridge connected the two banks of the Ponta River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the middle of the river, a central shoal had been built up with wooden stakes to form a watch post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was clearly a civilian passage, and that outpost was a toll station for merchants and peddlers who wanted to cross the river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Past this toll station lay the territory of Redania, one of the four major kingdoms of the Northern Territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, the toll station also doubled as a customs post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The river water had a sharp smell, partly because the slow current allowed dirty sediments to accumulate nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A layer of green algae covered the river’s surface, a result of the water’s eutrophication.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the ’nutrients’ of nature smelled like long-fermented manure to the human nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corpses of dead waterfowl, fish, and even water ghosts floated up and down among the green algae.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Occasionally, they bumped into the wooden bridge’s piles with a ’thud.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing much happened when Geralt and Lann crossed the bridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers manning the toll station, like ordinary people, treated the Demon Hunter as if he were a leper, fearful that his cat-like eyes might infect them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nevertheless, their attitude was still better than that of villagers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Redania’s emblem was a red-background shield with a crowned, scepter-holding, wings-spread white eagle, which, unlike the common blue-and-white of Temeria, meant the official colors here were red and white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers’ chest and padded armor bore alternating patches of red and white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the soldiers guarding the toll station were somewhat seasoned, they understood that demon hunters were just passing through, not staying long or looking for work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they merely acted as if warding off bad luck, by turning their heads to spit or blowing their noses, wiping their snot on their padded armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, they only dared do that when Geralt took the lead crossing by.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Roach’s hooves made the wooden bridge echo with ’thud-thud’ sounds, a giant figure, which shouldn’t have appeared logically, squeezed across the small bridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Redanian soldier with a bulbous, rosacea-laden nose was examining the money pouch Geralt had tossed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His phlegm-laden mouth mumbled some unsavory phrases.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geralt, used to such scenes, remained calm on his horse, waiting for the Redanian soldier before him to finish counting the coins in the pouch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, white-haired fellow.\" The rosy-nosed soldier planted the end of his long spear on the ground, cradling the shaft while flipping the small money pouch to shake it empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The coins aren’t clipped, two people, two horses, no goods carried, so no need for trade tax...uh, pfft.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if dissatisfied with Geralt’s honest payment, a ’gurgl’ erupted from his throat, followed by a sideways spit, and his eyes rolled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But you’re definitely headed to Novigrad for work, right? The great Eternal Fire priests might forget to charge you commercial tax, so you need to deposit a guarantee here first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve crossed the Ponta River hundreds of times, mate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geralt, on horseback, frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Novigrad’s a free city; even if I work there, the taxes have little to do with Redania, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t be too greedy, I can give you five more silver coins, treat you to a drink. But forget that nonsense about a commercial tax deposit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hoping the toll station soldiers follow the rules honestly was like hoping the Eternal Fire could truly ward off monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geralt knew well how to deal with these people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rosy-nose before him was an old hand too, knowing he couldn’t fool Geralt, so he just pursed his lips, ready to follow through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, as the rosy-nose soldier tucked away the toll and reached out to receive those five silver coins from Geralt, a gigantic shadow loomed over from behind the demon hunter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qilin, standing two and a half meters at the shoulder, was further elevated by the magic horse harness saddle, with Lann cloaked and seated atop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The combined height exceeded three and a half meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither the Qilin nor Lann were simply tall and lanky; their muscular build was robust and healthy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, their proportional size difference appeared even more daunting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though the Qilin approached Geralt at a seemingly leisurely pace, the shadow it cast felt like impending darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lann rode the Qilin past Geralt, leaving the Redanian soldiers gulping, mouths open yet speechless in his wake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not done yet, Geralt?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geralt, atop Roach, looked down at the rosy-nose toll collector, while Lann, passing by, looked down at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lann unperturbedly continued, and the rosy-nose, still extending his hand toward Geralt, remained frozen, his hand awkwardly hovering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old demon hunter knowingly glanced at the rosy-nose by his horse’s head, his mouth curling into a slight smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said nothing more about the five silver coins and followed Lann out of the toll station.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After they left, the previously silent toll station gradually returned to its noisy state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Travelers blocked on the bridge outside hastened their passage, while the Redanian soldiers at the toll station seemed to just snap out of a daze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that a... giant riding a horse?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nonsense, a giant, this is a civilized place, not some remote wilderness!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But if it’s not a giant, then what about that size? Walking alongside those freaky demon hunters?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers were arguing, not just out of curiosity, but as a way to vent the pressure accumulated unconsciously under that enormous silhouette.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the veteran with the wine-red nose paused as he heard the words ’freaky demon hunter’, clearly recalling something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a legend, not long circulated, yet possessing an unimaginable influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ballads of the minstrels said the protagonist of the story was a tall, brave demon hunter beyond ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring the chatter of the others at the toll station, the wine-red nosed veteran leaned his spear against the wall and quietly slipped into the soldiers’ lounge at the toll station.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after, a pigeon fluttered its wings and flew into the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-----------------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The events at the Ponta River toll station didn’t linger in Lann and Geralt’s minds for more than ten minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to ordinary people of this magic Middle Ages, the insight and experience of demon hunters were remarkably diverse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such small matters could be handled smoothly by Lann even when he was just an ordinary demon hunter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geralt jostled on horseback, teasing the young man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I should really travel with you often; not even twenty times, and the saved tolls would cover a task for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lann turned on his Qilin, adjusting his hood brim as if bowing after a performance, indicating Geralt needn’t be polite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon reaching the Redania territory, at least the environment was much better than Velen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Velen’s terrain was low-lying, making the Ponta River’s waters swamp and wetland, birthing monsters and miasma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the vast lands where Novigrad lay, formed the delta where Ponta River joined the ocean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although closer to the sea, the annoying humidity was not as bad as Velen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the suitably humid loess, shrubs and trees, grass grow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking less than twenty steps off the road, one enters untouched forests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lush greenery, dense and dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as the two approached Novigrad along the main road, they soon lifted their eyes to see the road ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Times are more chaotic,\" Geralt’s voice was as tranquil as ever, \"The remnants of that war still torment many.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lann lowered his head, saying nothing, lightly tapping the Qilin’s neck, prompting the elegant ancient dragon to quicken its pace slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cacophony of sounds arose from the road ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound included men and women laughing heartily and cruelly, the terrified braying of donkeys pulling carts, and screams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geralt urged Roya forward as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The events unfolding before the two demon hunters were evident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cart, trapped by a snare, axle broken, goods scattered, the wooden cart tilted and stuck in a pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The donkey pulling the cart, spooked by the sight of blood, cried out, kicking its legs, yet the harness tied it to the broken cart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the cart owner... or former owner sat limply in the muddy ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young man dressed as an attendant lay dead before him, blood from his body further moistening, worsening the smell of the mud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While those who laid the snare and commandeered the cart’s goods were clearly deserters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They wore Redania’s red and white cotton armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only wore iron guards on gloves, elbows, knees, and a large iron plate tied to their chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unlike the toll station soldiers, these folks seemed dirtier and more bedraggled, their armor too old compared to mass-produced military equipment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the least stingy quartermasters would surely recognize them as needing replacement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Six or seven people, men and women alike, wore such attire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Geralt and Lann approached the scene, they saw a leading man pulling a young girl from behind a slumped cart owner in the mud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A girl, likely thirteen or fourteen... perhaps a boy with a fair appearance?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, these people cared little for gender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leading man, with rotten, yellowing teeth, no sooner grabbed the child than he snorted, laughed, and began tearing the child’s clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spouting: Time to meet a real man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His companions jeered as if enjoying a show, some even beginning to undo their belt buckles.\u003C\u002Fp>",1549,"2026-06-06T10:40:28.727Z",1,"novelbin.me","6504608e2c892c4b420747540e36ad719309e526164d54eebdeec07fd6cf1457","bear-school-astartes-chapter-998","bear-school-astartes-chapter-996",1043,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbear-school-astartes-cover.jpg"]