Chapter 355: Lambert: Busy, We're All Busy
The Cat School's ancestors who had abandoned the Order had tried to steal the decoction recipe, but they were chased down by witchers from the Order. Left with no choice, the Cat School's forerunners were forced to find a new method of mutation.
They did manage to create a new recipe, but its side effects were too severe. It amplified a witcher's extreme and radical tendencies, which is why Cat School witchers were often madmen, psychopaths, and sadists.
Lynn had no desire to see Kassia become a monster. Therefore, even if the Trial of the Grasses was improved in the future with the help of Mossack and the others, he would not let Kassia become a Cat School witcher. When he heard that Yennefer had discovered a talent for magic in Kassia, he was genuinely happy for her.
Because, by comparison, being a sorceress was much easier. While sorcerers in this world were easy to learn but difficult to master, with a low floor and a high ceiling, at least they weren't like the wizards in the web novels from Lynn's home world, who risked death and mutation just by doing an experiment with their mentor.
This was evident from the fact that the Aretuza and Ban Ard academies could consistently train a steady number of sorcerers each year. Aretuza, in particular, felt like a girls-only version of Hogwarts.
That's not to say that every sorceress who graduated from the academy became a powerful spellcaster. As mentioned before, sorcery was a profession with a low floor. Most sorcerers' spells weren't much more powerful than a witcher's Signs. But the knowledge they learned at the academy was enough for them to make a living in this world. They could become herbalists, alchemists... these jobs were enough for them to live a life far better than that of an ordinary person.
Since Kassia was learning magic with Yennefer, Lynn decided not to disturb them. He told Zoltan and his brothers to take the weary travelers for a hot bath to wash away the fatigue of the journey. He wasn't in a hurry and decided to sit on the training yard's grass and talk with the children.
Even though class wasn't over, this was a special occasion, so Lambert didn't say anything and let the children crowd around Lynn. With a smile, Lynn listened to their daily joys and hardships, their triumphs and their frustrations. They were all just trivial little things, but Lynn listened with genuine interest.
Time passed quickly, and night fell. Lambert, seeing that it was getting late, said, "Alright, brats, stop pestering Lynn. It's time for dinner. This isn't a normal day. Can't you see we have guests? If you're late, you might not get any food. You don't want to go to bed hungry again, do you?"
Hearing Lambert, the children reluctantly ended their conversations. One of them looked at Lynn with anticipation.
"Lord Lynn, will you eat with us?"
"Yes, let's go together."
"Yay!"
The children cheered and flocked around Lynn as they walked toward the inner fortress. Some of them were so pleased to get a spot close to Lynn that they looked smug, while the others who missed out looked disappointed. Lambert, by contrast, looked like an empty-nester.
As they walked, Lynn asked, "Lambert, how does it feel to be a teacher?"
Lambert answered, "To be honest, it's awful. You have no idea how slow these little brats are. They can't even remember the most basic things, no matter how many times I repeat them. If it were a few years ago, I'd have taken a stick to them."
Perhaps afraid that Lynn would be disappointed, one of the children quickly said, "That's not it, Lord Lynn. It's not that we're slow. It's just that Master Lambert's demands are too unrealistic."
"Yeah, yeah," another child chimed in. "Master Lambert makes us wear blindfolds and practice swordplay on the posts while dodging that swinging pendulum..."
"If it weren't for Lady Tissaia and Lady Yennefer, and the other masters' strong objections, Master Lambert would have us practicing with a double pendulum—two pendulums swinging on different trajectories."
Lambert's temper flared. "Hey! You little brats think you've grown wings now, huh? You're ratting on me? I've been screaming my throat raw for you every day! It's for your own good! The more you sweat in the training yard, the less you'll bleed when you face a real monster!"
A child who hadn't spoken yet said quietly, "Master Lambert, we know you and the other masters want what's best for us, but we truly can't meet your demands all at once."
Seeing the argument about to escalate, Lynn didn't want the mood to carry over to the dinner table. "Alright, children, maybe Master Lambert is a little strict, but there's no denying that he has your best interests at heart."
"You might feel like you're small now, that you're still growing, that you still have time..."
"But when you come face to face with a monster, you'll find out that they won't go easy on you because of your age or your training time. They won't care if you're ready or not."
Lynn's words silenced the children, and a few of them looked thoughtful.
After talking to the children, he turned to Lambert and said, "But on the other hand, Lambert, I know your intentions are good. But you also know that witcher physical training takes years. It can't be done in a single day."
"A long journey starts with a single step. We have to prepare for the long haul. We shouldn't be too impatient or look for quick results."
"I'll give you plenty of support and resources, so don't worry about money like in the old days. I need them to be prepared, even if it takes more time."
Lambert said slowly, "It's my first time teaching students, and I've been a bit too impatient. Maybe because I already know how to do it, I just assumed they should learn quickly, too."
"But I forgot it took me a lot of effort to learn as well... I get it. I'll be more patient with them."
After saying his piece, Lambert noticed Lynn was still looking at him with a half-smile. It made him feel uneasy.
"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"
"No," Lynn said with a playful grin. "I just never thought I'd hear you say something like that. Is this really the Lambert I know? If Master Vesemir heard you just now, I'm sure he'd be as shocked as I am."
Lambert scratched his cheek, looking away into the distance. "I'm still me. I haven't changed. It's just that teaching has given me a taste of something I've never experienced before..."
"Alright, I admit that looking back, the way I used to fight with Vesemir was a bit immature."
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