Because of the Two Fingers' assassination attempt, Nolan had no choice but to postpone his planned campaign against Nokron by another half month.
Still, the day finally came. He led a force of one thousand female assassins and knights out from Stormveil Castle, setting off on the road to conquer Nokron.
During the delay, Nolan confirmed two things.
First, the Two Fingers had truly made up its mind to kill him. Second, those female assassins all had rather impressive figures.
Of course, Nolan was absolutely not a voyeur. The reason he knew this so well was that he had already seen every one of them in the dungeon.
On top of that, he had personally shaped the body of one Black Knife Assassin with the Fire of Life.
Still, though mother and daughter had finally been reunited after so long, Alecto and Tiche were not as close as one might imagine.
Perhaps that was simply how assassins got along. At the very least, the daughter had long since proven through her actions what place her mother held in her heart.
"Torrent, why are you so excited?" Nolan smiled and gently patted the little steed beneath him.
Torrent gave a cheerful snort, as if answering Nolan's words.
Its four little hooves moved even more lightly, as though filled with endless energy.
The little steed was always lively, but on the road to Nokron, it seemed especially excited.
"Maybe it's happy to be going home," Alecto said.
She rode a warhorse behind Nolan, dressed in an attendant's uniform no different from the Numen ladies', though beneath the long skirt, her black soft armor remained unchanged.
The former leader of the Black Knife had now become Nolan's head maid, the deputy captain of his personal guard, and the new teacher of the Numen ladies.
As for the captain, naturally, she was nowhere to be seen. Melina was sitting behind Nolan, and she had no complaints about her position as teacher being taken over.
If anything, she was rather pleased. That little piece of wood had never liked interacting with people much, so having no one bother her for once felt rather nice.
Nolan rode at the very front. Out of everyone's sight, Melina sat behind him, while Torrent carried both of them along happily without showing the slightest sign of fatigue.
"From the sound of that, you know Torrent quite well?" Nolan suddenly asked.
"Mm," Alecto nodded. "It is a descendant of the Ancestor Spirits. It was once Her Majesty Marika's mount, and later it was given to His Highness Miquella. I never expected it would choose you in the end."
At that, Nolan suddenly pictured the long-horned, bull-headed people known as the Ancestral Followers.
That nature-worshipping race was skilled in archery and lived right beside Nokron, neighbors to the Nox.
"So Torrent used to be a god's mount. Quite the distinguished little steed, aren't you? But now you're my little steed!"
As Nolan spoke, he gently stroked Torrent's head.
Torrent seemed to enjoy the affection. It gave two pleased snorts, its expression practically brimming with smugness.
Apart from resting at night, Torrent ran tirelessly. Mountains and trees swept past on both sides, and the light of the Erdtree alternated between dimness and radiance.
Nolan did not need to worry at all, because Torrent seemed very familiar with this road. It was as if it knew exactly where to go, and where they were headed.
And so, after several days of forced march, Nolan's main force finally advanced into the Mistwood in southeastern Limgrave.
Fort Haight had sent people to guide them. Amid the thick fog, they soon found the Fire-Bearer Army's camp and checkpoint.
The Tarnished on the road stepped aside of their own accord. In Limgrave, no one dared block this Lord's path.
Under Eleonora's lead, Nolan arrived before the great crater left by the falling star.
The crater was over a hundred meters in radius. Eleonora had led the Fire-Bearer Army in garrisoning this place for more than half a year, but that did not mean they had spent all that time doing nothing.
It was said that in the beginning, the crater had been filled with floating stones and broken pieces of buildings. After investigation, they were found to be under the control of Nokron's Gravity Sorcery.
Now those obstacles had all been cleared away. Standing at the edge and looking down, one could see a spiral road extending into the depths, like an inverted tower driven deep underground.
Along the road were free Tarnished from all over, preparing to explore. The Fire-Bearer Army did not stop them. After collecting a toll, they allowed them to descend.
This leniency had Nolan's approval.
When Eleonora and Blaidd first led a team down, they were driven back. Now, these free Tarnished were essentially serving as the Fire-Bearer Army's free vanguard.
For those free Tarnished to enter the crater and explore, they not only had to pay a certain number of runes, but upon returning, they also had to hand over part of their gains and answer the Fire-Bearer Army's questions.
Fortunately, most of what they found still belonged to them. A ninety-ten split was fair enough, so people continued to come in a steady stream.
After entering the camp, Nolan summoned Eleonora and asked her, "Is Blaidd not here?" There was a hint of doubt in his voice.
To travel from Limgrave to Liurnia of the Lakes, one had to pass through Stormveil. If Blaidd had returned, there was no reason he would not have greeted him, yet Nolan did not see him anywhere in the camp.
Eleonora answered respectfully, "Lord Blaidd is in Nokron." Her tone was filled with respect.
"The exit of the crater leads into Nokron's urban district. The Nox resistance has been extremely fierce. Although we have successfully taken control of the outer city, we have never been able to break into the inner city."
Could Nokron, the "Eternal City," really be captured so easily?
The Nox swordsmen and monks were not to be underestimated. They were no ordinary enemies, and those great scientists were also obsessed with creating all sorts of strange biological weapons.
The Nox were flesh-and-blood people, not NPCs in a game who would foolishly wait for the enemy to come knocking at their door.
A huge hole had been opened above the city they lived in. Naturally, they could not simply ignore it and allow outsiders to invade.
If they gained the advantage on the battlefield, they might even seize the chance to counterattack the surface and see the light of day once more.
"Prepare yourselves. We'll go down and take a look," Nolan said with a nod.
In truth, even if the Mimic Tear really could copy one hundred percent of his strength, it did not matter. He would simply see which was stronger: its "combat AI," or the martial skill he had accumulated over ten thousand years.
Nolan had complete confidence in his own strength. He believed his martial skill would not lose to any opponent.
And even if he could not beat it, that was fine too. At worst, he could call for help. The tall assassins behind him specialized in killing experts.
"Your Majesty, I will inform the people below at once to prepare for your arrival," Eleonora said respectfully.
Nolan waved his hand and replied with a smile, "No need. There aren't that many formalities on a battlefield. Leave half the people here to maintain order. Also, seal the road for now and forbid outsiders from entering."
With that, Nolan turned and strode out of the tent. After summoning Torrent again, he lightly swung himself into the saddle.
"Let's go, Torrent. Let's see who dares stand in the way of our advance."
Nolan's words were calm. Torrent neighed in answer, and a procession of more than a thousand people descended in grand formation along the spiral road, heading deep underground.
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