A cool, refreshing autumn breeze swept past, carrying with it a quiet sense of ease.
A few withered yellow leaves drifted down, settling softly against the hard, cold surface of Nolan's armor.
Nolan urged his mount to pick up the pace, hoofbeats pounding as he rode hard toward the northeast.
The farther he moved from the Redmane army, the more rampant the Limgrave troops became. Along the way, he cut down several small units that had set up unauthorized checkpoints.
As for whether those bandit knights might take the opportunity to vent their anger on the Haligtree, that was not worth worrying about at all.
Leaving aside the demigods who commanded their armies, the Haligtree forces were currently the strongest military power outside the Royal Capital. Any soldier who had seen a battlefield knew that much.
No matter how furious Godefroy's men might be, the villages near the lift were guaranteed some peace for the time being.
Cutting down a few irritating pests while gaining strength at the same time put Nolan in an especially good mood.
And so, he continued onward through the Bower of Bounty.
Over the course of the long journey, he encountered numerous noble caravans heavily escorted by soldiers. Even Nolan himself was stopped for inspection more than once.
But the Golden Needle Knight Armor was far too recognizable. Soldiers and bandits alike knew they could not afford to provoke him. Even if outlaws did not recognize who he was, the moment they saw that ornate armor, they would not dare cause trouble.
In this world steeped in fantasy and ruled by strength, the disparity between power levels was stark. Individual might could even overshadow that of a massive army.
Walking through bustling streets, people would often brush past knights clad in heavy armor, mounted atop towering warhorses.
The power these imposing knights wielded meant that a single one of them might be enough to wipe out a squad of dozens of well-trained soldiers.
Time slipped by unnoticed. By mid-afternoon, light filtered through the trees, casting a golden sheen across the land.
After hours of travel, Nolan finally left behind the winding mountain paths of the Abundance Forest.
Rounding a bend, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a vast and empty stretch of land.
A wide, level road ran straight north, like a colossal dragon sprawled across the earth.
To the right of the road, through dense woodland, the faint outlines of a quiet village could be seen.
Thin columns of smoke curled into the air, giving it the look of an idyllic haven. Of course, it was just as possible that the village had been set ablaze.
Continuing along the road would eventually lead into the region where the Haligtree stood.
The path ahead was far from peaceful, however, with numerous tightly guarded checkpoints along the way.
Groups of noble soldiers wearing surcoats marked with various family crests were carefully inspecting travelers and vehicles, intent on squeezing out every possible bit of profit.
These minor lords under Godefroy were insignificant powers, but at least in name, they still belonged to the King's coalition. Naturally, that gave them the excuse to search for Leyndell's scouts while earning a little extra on the side.
They had once hoped to become loyal followers of a rising power, only for their leader to be captured halfway through the war.
After coming all this way, they had to take something back with them. Runes were an excellent choice.
They had once harbored grand ambitions of ruling the Lands Between, and under a demigod's banner, they had at least managed to keep their troops in line.
Now that any chance of further advancement was gone, they were content to grab whatever they could.
Nolan sat astride Torrent, gently drawing on the reins to bring the steed to a slow halt.
His gaze settled on a group of Nomadic Merchants not far ahead. Trailing behind them was a collection of creatures of all shapes and kinds.
Several bodies labeled as "spies" hung from a thick tree by the roadside, swaying gently in the breeze.
Below the tree, short demi-humans with grayish-brown skin shuffled forward with unsteady steps.
Beside them were winged, fur-covered Misbegotten, their hands and feet bound in heavy shackles, forced onward by rough shoves from their captors.
Across the vast Lands Between, those who ruled the dynasties were, for the most part, human.
Aside from the territory of the Haligtree and the region of Liurnia of the Lakes, such beings in other lands were usually reduced to lowly slaves, living lives where even tomorrow felt unbearably distant.
At that moment, Ranni, who had been resting quietly on the knight's shoulder, stirred.
She lifted the hood that covered her face, raised her head with sleepy eyes, and asked in a daze,
"Why did we stop?"
Hearing Ranni's voice, Nolan turned to her and answered with a light chuckle,
"Your Highness, you're finally awake."
He tilted his chin toward the road ahead and continued,
"There's a checkpoint up there carrying out inspections. Look at them. Instead of fighting on the battlefield, they've come here to enjoy themselves."
Ranni rubbed her eyes, forcing herself to wake up a little more, then asked,
"Have we reached the Haligtree's encampment yet?"
Nolan shook his head and gave a small shrug.
"Not yet, Your Highness. But we're not far now. About half a day's ride should get us there."
The princess seemed completely unaware that her behavior was drawing attention.
Despite clearly disliking being seen in such a state, she spoke with him openly in full view of everyone around them.
Several curious glances were already turning their way. But the moment those onlookers caught sight of his gleaming, ornate armor, they recoiled like startled birds, quickly averting their eyes and suppressing their curiosity.
Nolan looked toward the stationary convoy, his thoughts slowly drifting.
If it weren't for the matters involving Mohg and Miquella, riding around like this with Ranni might have been rather nice. Traveling with an adorable princess at his side, casually indulging in a bit of heroic bravado now and then.
The wait dragged on far too long, and with nothing else to do, the two naturally fell into idle conversation.
In high spirits, Nolan began telling Her Highness stories from other worlds. Tales of kings who bullied old god-kings, burning champions from every faction like firewood.
As the story rose and fell, time slipped by unnoticed, and the sky gradually darkened.
"This is way too slow! We've been waiting here forever. Why aren't they moving at all?"
Nolan wasn't prone to road rage, but waiting from daylight until nightfall tested even his patience.
Growing restless, he swung himself down from the saddle.
He looked ahead and saw the checkpoint gates still tightly closed, with several carriages nearby hurriedly turning around and heading back the way they came.
At the sight of this, his brow furrowed as he silently wondered what was going on.
Just then, someone caught his eye.
A Nomadic Merchant was hurrying past one of the carriages.
"Hey, friend, hold on a moment. What's going on up ahead?"
His voice was calm and friendly, and his appearance naturally put people at ease.
Hearing the call, the merchant, whose entire body was concealed except for a pair of eyes, stopped and turned to look at him.