"The Two Fingers actually contacted us first?"
Hearing this, the Crucible Knights could not help showing a hint of surprise.
After all, their current relationship with the Golden Order Dynasty could hardly be called good.
Their relationship with the Golden Order Dynasty had been at its best when Lord Godfrey still reigned and the Golden Prince was still alive.
But after Godwyn's death, the Golden faction no longer had much fondness for this powerful, uncontrolled military order born from the Aspects of the Crucible.
After all, a group with that much strength could be a potential threat to any regime.
They were confident that if the entire Crucible Knights had been stationed in Leyndell during The Shattering, those young Demigods would never have been able to cause much trouble.
On the battlefields of the Ancient Era, which Lord did not have a few Demigod-level knights under him? Yet they had still cut their way through.
It was precisely because those in power feared their strength that they had not hesitated to scatter the Dynasty's strongest knightly order.
In the name of the Dynasty, the rulers had sent the Crucible Knights to different regions, almost as if exiling them to the frontier.
Only after Morgott came to power did their relationship with Leyndell ease a little.
But to the Crucible Knights, these power struggles did not truly matter. They had never cared much for power or status.
The reason they had joined the Golden Order Dynasty and become knights in the first place was solely because the lord they served was Godfrey.
Were it not for the union between their Lord and the Golden Goddess, these Crucible Knights would have been the freest warriors in the land.
With their formidable strength, they could have roamed wherever they pleased and challenged whomever they wished, instead of being bound by so many restraints as they were now.
Just like now, they had been sent down into this underground world. Yet life far from the center of power actually felt freer.
Of course, their mission was not the ancient, weakened city before them, but to guard the tomb of the dead Golden Prince beneath Leyndell.
They had only appeared here because they had heard a massive hole had opened above Nokron and had come to investigate.
"They sent people. Those Two Fingers must have stirred up some trouble again. Ordovis has already set out for Leyndell, and I came to bring you back," Siluria said in a low voice.
"You just said Nolan is a thorn in the Two Fingers' side. Before we leave, should we attack Nokron and deal with him first?"
A burly knight carrying a Claymore stepped to Siluria's side as he spoke.
Siluria glanced at him but did not answer at once. The knight was clearly impatient, gripping his sword hilt as though he might charge toward Nokron at any moment.
Another Crucible Knight carrying a war spear cut him off without ceremony.
"What does the trouble caused by the Two Fingers have to do with us? They are not our Lord. And do not forget, it was the 'Golden' faction that exiled our Lord."
His voice carried obvious anger and resentment.
The sword-wielding Crucible Knight immediately fell silent. He realized his suggestion had been somewhat impulsive.
Indeed, there was deep hatred between them and the forces of Gold. If not for Godwyn's sake back then, they would have rebelled long ago.
"Let's go back," Siluria finally said, ending their argument. She cast one last glance at the distant city, then turned and walked toward the riverway.
In truth, Siluria had another thought she had not shared with the knights. Their group was probably no match for that Lord of Cinder.
She had witnessed Nolan's battle against Nokron's secret weapon.
That kind of combat ability could only be called terrifying. It reminded her of the Lords of the Ancient Era.
In Siluria's eyes, the so-called Shattering War was like children playing house.
As for the later generations' so-called heroes and champions, aside from Godwyn, she had only seen a faint trace of the ancient Lords in Morgott.
But now, she had discovered another such Lord. Although she had not personally felt Nolan's power, the intuition she had honed on countless battlefields would never deceive her.
She sensed a deadly threat from Nolan.
Siluria spread the wings of the Aspects of the Crucible, beat them once, and flew toward the Siofra River.
If it had been for Godfrey, then even knowing she was no match for him, she would have charged at that Lord of Cinder.
But for the mere Two Fingers, she and her comrades could find no reason to risk their lives for something so insignificant.
"Yes," the three Crucible Knights answered in unison.
They also spread the wings of the Aspects of the Crucible and followed after her like a flock of swift birds.
The mere Two Fingers were not worth a single hair of the Chief Knight or their Lord.
...
Nokron had been reduced to a genuine ruin, so the Firelink Army had no choice but to set up camp among the rubble.
The Firelink Army's takeover of Nokron went exceptionally smoothly, mainly because the King of the Night worked far too hard.
"Your Majesty Nolan! Priestess Estrid is willing to surrender," Asimi reported excitedly.
"Well done!" Nolan nodded in satisfaction, affirming Asimi's work.
"Your Majesty Nolan! Priestess Aurora is willing to submit to us too." Asimi immediately brought another piece of good news.
"Good. Very good!" A delighted smile appeared on Nolan's face.
"Your Majesty Nolan..."
"..."
Scenes like this played out again and again over the next few days. Asimi called him "Your Majesty" with such practiced ease that it was as though she had been born to serve Nolan.
A Lord personally persuading his own subjects to surrender was probably unprecedented in the history of the Lands Between.
The Night Priestesses could not help sighing. Their Lord really had disgraced herself thoroughly.
Naturally, Nolan was very satisfied with Asimi's performance. At the same time, he came to understand this artificial Lord a little better.
This artificial Lord was working so hard to prove herself for more than just fear that her own life might be threatened.
It was because she understood the value of life better than most. Not only the value of her own life, but also that the lives of others were not cheap.
Of course, compared to her own life, theirs might still be just a tiny bit cheaper.
Asimi did not know how to be a proper Lord, but she knew that if more people could survive, then all of this was worth it to her.
And because of her, Nolan saved quite a lot of money on building guillotines. For that, he praised her often.
Every time she heard Nolan's praise, Asimi would put on a silly, delighted smile, making the Night Priestesses standing nearby feel so ashamed they wished they could disappear.
How had they created something like this?
Asimi herself did not think there was anything wrong with it. She simply asked, "Your Majesty, is there anything else you need me to do?"
Nolan gently stroked the Mimic Tear's round body and replied, "Not for now. Get some rest."
As he spoke, Nolan stroked the Mimic Tear's plump, rounded body.
Hearing that, Asimi obediently nuzzled against Nolan's palm, then slipped along his arm and returned into his body.
And at the very moment Asimi disappeared, Blaidd happened to walk in and looked at Nolan strangely.
***
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