As the light of the full moon gradually faded, the Erdtree once more shone with resplendent brilliance, and dawn slowly broke across the sky.
Along the towering walls of Elphael's inner city, dozens of Haligtree soldiers stood fully armed, patrolling back and forth without pause.
From the soldiers' hurried return to the city, it was easy to guess that a cleanup operation had taken place the day before.
Unfortunately, His Highness Miquella had personally designated the interception force. The soldiers tasked with defending the city could only look on in quiet envy, powerless to do anything more.
For most soldiers, the chance to earn merit and glory was an irresistible temptation.
Even if they lacked the qualifications to become knights, many still wished to use what little strength they had to claim a greater share of honor.
That morning, when the Haligtree Knights galloped through the city to deliver His Highness Miquella's orders to the wounded soldiers, the scene left everyone else openly envious.
Suddenly, a shout rang out within the city.
"Lord Nolan is back!"
The soldiers all turned toward the corridor, where a figure emerged beneath the glow of glintstone lamps. His armor was already battered and damaged.
Nolan smiled and waved at them, showing none of the aloof bearing one might expect from a noble knight.
It was precisely this temperament, neither arrogant nor timid, that allowed him to get along so easily with the soldiers.
Cheers rose and fell in waves. Anyone unaware of the circumstances might have thought he had accomplished something truly earthshaking.
Nolan himself remained modest. As he passed through the crowd, he even took the time to calm them down. After all, a few small insects were hardly worth boasting about.
"Settle down. It's still early. Don't disturb the other residents."
He gave a light laugh, waved again, and turned to head back to his room. Suddenly, a heavy hand slapped down on his shoulder.
"Well, I'll be damned. Didn't expect you back this soon. You don't look hurt either. Nice work."
Finlay leaned in with a wide grin, her delight obvious. But her hand was anything but gentle. Even though she held back, the impact still made Nolan's body jolt.
"What do you mean unhurt? Which eye are you using? My ribs are broken, all right? And look, there's still blood at the corner of my mouth!"
Nolan complained as he rubbed his shoulder. The heavy armor had absorbed most of the force, but a dull ache still lingered in his chest.
"Want me to get a healer? I've got some Sacred Tear, too."
"No need. It's just a minor injury. I can handle it myself."
Nolan waved her off, thinking to himself that broken arms and legs used to be a regular occurrence. A miracle spell or a swig of medicine, and he would be back on his feet fighting again. A few broken bones were nothing.
Finlay nodded without thinking, muttering under her breath.
This kid really loved to put on a tough act. During training, he never cried out no matter how badly he was hurt. There was that one time he broke his leg by accident, the bone tearing through the flesh, and he still had the nerve to grin and chat like nothing happened.
If she hadn't raised him since he was little and knew him so well, she would seriously wonder if something was wrong with his head.
But compared to a mental issue, it felt more like a habit. A habit of being injured, a habit of pain, even a habit of treating life and death as ordinary.
…No, thinking about it that way just made it sound even more unsettling.
With that thought, Finlay let out a helpless sigh.
"You idiot, take your own life a little more seriously. Don't forget, you're connected to Lady Malenia—"
Nolan cut Finlay off impatiently. He reached into his coat and pulled out a red flask, giving it a shake. The liquid inside chimed with a crisp, clear sound.
"Alright, alright, enough already. I'm getting calluses on my ears. Look at this. With this around, you don't need to worry anymore, right?"
He handed the bottle to Finlay with a smug grin.
The smile was like warm spring sunlight, bright and full of life. For a moment, Finlay didn't know how to respond. All she could do was purse her lips and roll her eyes in exasperation.
"If I remember correctly, routine combat missions are usually handled by the Haligtree Knights and the Cleanrot Knights, right?"
"If there are similar missions in the future, I'd like to keep participating."
Nolan gave Finlay a light pat on the shoulder, his eyes burning with intent.
"This… are you sure?"
Finlay frowned slightly, clearly hesitant.
This was no small matter. She was just an ordinary Cleanrot Knight and had no authority to make such an important decision.
"If both of the Highnesses are in agreement, then I have no objection."
After a moment of thought, Finlay finally gave her answer.
"Understood. I'll find a chance to ask His Highness about it," Nolan said with a smile, nodding.
After chatting with his friend for a short while, Nolan returned to his room.
He casually placed the Flask of Crimson Tears among a cluster of bottles. At a glance, there were more than twenty identical flasks piled together.
"Heal."
Nolan slowly drew the curtains and stood quietly beside the bed.
As the sigil beneath his feet lit up, golden light spread outward, swiftly enveloping his entire body.
"A low-tier clerical miracle. The effect really can't compare to a red potion, but it'll do," Nolan muttered to himself.
Using a red potion for a few broken ribs would be overkill. Nolan wasn't that fragile.
If he didn't use a red potion or see a physician, it wasn't because he lacked options.
As a fully developed Lord of Cinder with no glaring weaknesses, minor miracles were effortless for him.
While changing clothes, a steady knock sounded at his door.
Nolan quickly finished dressing and opened it, only to find the imposing Commander of the Golden Needle Knights standing silently outside.
Even in a private space like this, the woman still refused to remove her helmet.
"Commander Leda, you've worked hard. Care to come in for a cup of tea?"
Nolan smiled and stepped aside, gesturing politely. The stern knight simply stared at him for several seconds.
"Knight Nolan, His Highness is already waiting. Come with me."
Leda's voice was calm. She clearly wasn't good at dealing with this kind of enthusiasm. As soon as she finished speaking, she turned and left, giving Nolan no chance to reply.
Nolan felt mildly rebuffed, but he wasn't annoyed. He was used to it. With a faint smile, he followed after her.
The two walked in silence, the atmosphere heavy, as though both were preoccupied with their own thoughts.
In the end, Nolan was the one to break the silence.
"The patrol team still hasn't returned today?"
The Knight Commander nodded, as if she had already seen the question coming.
"Yes. You seem quite concerned about them. But we shouldn't run into those insects again for the next few days."
Though she didn't know why Nolan was so focused on the Kindred of Rot, she had a strong feeling that those vile creatures were his true target.
Hearing that, a trace of disappointment surfaced on Nolan's face.
"What a shame," he murmured softly.
He had been tormented by a world steeped in despair, having endured countless trials of life and death.
Yet there were always people standing behind him, keeping him from slipping into madness, and ensuring he would never turn his blade against his own companions.