Over the next three months, Nolan gradually adapted to and integrated himself into both this small squad and the Haligtree army as a whole.
During that time, he took part in numerous patrols and cleanup missions, personally slaying several Kindred of Rot larvae that attempted to sneak in. His strength improved steadily as a result.
Of course, that didn't mean he had grown timid or cautious, only daring to bully half-grown little bugs.
The Kindred of Rot might look like insects, but they possessed a certain degree of intelligence. They knew full well that such invasions were essentially suicide missions, which was why it was relatively rare for them to personally lead groups into an attack.
The incident where five Kindred of Rot invaded together last time was said to be the first occurrence in nearly a decade.
"I've heard there are great lords among the Kindred of Rot. I wonder how much stronger you'd get from killing one. Still, if they're called lords, their strength probably isn't something to scoff at."
Standing atop a thick tree root, Nolan gazed out toward the distant sea, his right hand unconsciously clenching and unclenching.
"Ella, today's patrol is basically over. Get ready to head back."
Nolan turned and spoke to Ella. After responding, she passed the word along to the others.
Even before Nolan had joined, Ella had already been the unofficial big sister of the squad. Now, she had clearly settled into the role of a capable second-in-command.
"Hm… don't we need to rest a bit more?" Thorin asked, puzzled.
"You bunch of lazy bones," Ella snapped, stopping and turning around to glare at the soldiers behind her. "None of you drew a bow or swung a sword today. Is walking around really that tiring? And you still want to rest?"
As she spoke, she reached out and smacked Thorin on the head, the impact producing a sharp, crisp sound.
Thorin was momentarily stunned, eyes wide. He seemed to think she was embarrassing him in front of outsiders, his face puffing up like an about-to-burst balloon.
Still, getting chewed out was nothing new for them. He was already used to it. His expression might have soured, but his body obediently followed along anyway.
Then came the sound of metal scraping against metal. Turning his head, he saw a Golden Needle Knight walking past.
Rather than scolding anyone, the knight simply patted the soldier on the shoulder.
Even though his face was hidden behind a helmet, everyone somehow felt the sense of compassion in the gaze beneath the visor.
"Let's go. It'll be dark soon."
Nolan spoke calmly, as he always did, thinking to himself that if those two ever ended up together, this kid would suffer plenty if he didn't toughen up.
No one said anything. There were only teasing smiles on their faces and the steady clatter of greaves striking the ground.
The group continued on in silence. After a short while, a faint rustling sound reached their ears, breaking the calm.
Everyone turned to look around, but the towering tree roots severely blocked their view, making it impossible to see anything clearly.
All they could see was Elphael's glow lighting up the sky. Then, from the distance, came the sound of weapons clashing like falling rain, far away yet unmistakably clear.
Amid the violent ringing of steel, faint cries of pain could be heard, stirring unease. It was impossible to tell whether those sounds came from Haligtree soldiers or outsiders who had come seeking refuge.
Nolan immediately fell silent and charged toward the upper roots without hesitation.
By the faint light spilling out from the city, he could see insects scrambling out from beneath the roots.
A Haligtree patrol squad was already locked in a desperate struggle, fighting to hold off the swarm.
"Something's wrong. Everyone, get ready!"
Nolan shouted at the top of his lungs.
In truth, there was no need for the warning. Ella and the others had already raised their bows and drawn their longswords, faces set and eyes fixed on the massive roots overhead.
"How did enemies manage to break in here? Whose patrol sector is this supposed to be?"
As he spoke, Nolan casually cleaved through a Kindred of Rot larva that lunged straight at him, then turned to question the soldier beside him.
A soldier with blood streaming down his face answered urgently,
"Knight Karo! We were ambushed. He fell into the sea…"
Though badly wounded, the man was clearly well trained. Even sprawled on the ground, he continued to support his comrades with a pulley crossbow. The newly arrived group stared at him in stunned silence.
A handful of larvae should never have been able to kill a knight, even an ordinary Haligtree Knight.
Night had fully fallen. The moon hung high overhead like an enormous disc, its pale light mingling with the dazzling radiance of the Erdtree.
Looking up, three figures wielding long halberds could be seen above them, each trailed by several small crawling creatures.
This colossal tree was large enough to support an entire city. Naturally, the area under a single patrol squad's watch was never going to be so small.
Those little insects had most likely crawled ashore along some root system and launched a surprise attack at the moment the squad relaxed while returning to the city.
Under normal circumstances, even if a Haligtree Knight couldn't defeat three Kindred of Rot, he should have been able to stall them for a time.
There was no other explanation.
"These things are cast-offs of the Goddess of Rot. They were never true insects to begin with."
Nolan rapidly reconstructed the battle in his mind. When the knight named Karo fell into the sea, he probably hadn't even understood what had happened.
If the Haligtree Knights had raised their greatshields, pest threads would have been useless against them.
With proper coordination between sword-and-shield soldiers and archers, stopping the swarm should not have been difficult. They could even have split off a unit to request reinforcements from the city.
That was the difference between a disciplined army and a swarm of insects.
But once the protection of a knight was lost, forcing these soldiers to face the Kindred of Rot alone was truly overwhelming.
Just as the group finished forming up among the roots, the sword-and-shield soldier Enrique suddenly cried out in alarm,
"The pest threads are coming!"
Karl and two sword-and-shield soldiers from another squad immediately raised their shields, locking them together tightly in front of Nolan.
Nolan did not draw his longsword right away. Instead, he swiftly pulled the glintstone staff from his waist.
If he were a powerful magic instructor from the Raya Lucaria Academy, a single casting of Meteor Shower would have been enough to send every one of these insects plunging into the sea.
Unfortunately, he hadn't reached that level yet.
So he could only raise his staff steadily and focus with everything he had.
Glintstone Pebble!
The staff in his hand swung again and again, and pebbles of light streaked forth like meteors, slamming precisely into the Kindred of Rot larvae.
Each glintstone pebble detonated on impact like a miniature bomb, blasting the larvae into mangled heaps of flesh.
"What are you waiting for? Fire!"
As the knight fought at the front, the soldiers refused to fall behind. At Ella's command, they quickly adjusted their positions. Bows and crossbows loosed in unison, arrows pouring down like rain.
The Kindred of Rot carried no shields. Amid shrill screams and the crackle of burning flesh, the struck larvae collapsed one after another, flames licking over their bodies.
But the Kindred of Rot had no intention of standing by and letting themselves be slaughtered.
If pest threads wouldn't work, then they would speak with the halberds in their hands.
Nolan could clearly hear a chorus of buzzing, insect-like chatter ripple through the swarm.