"Disgusting. And precisely because of that, there's no need for mercy. The Golden Order won't be protecting these 'noble' people tonight."
Nolan looked toward the long stretch of tents beside the checkpoint. Soldiers stood packed along the wooden palisades, torches in hand as they patrolled back and forth. At their head were cavalrymen mounted on tall warhorses.
They looked well-trained. Not on the level of the Haligtree Army, but far stronger than the Cuckoo forces.
Nolan watched as a group of people were herded forward at spearpoint, shoved into the camp amid shouted commands. He felt the damp, yielding earth beneath his boots, stepped onto a carpet of fallen leaves, and followed without a sound.
As the distance closed, bursts of coarse laughter drifted over, mixed with taunts and insults from the surrounding soldiers.
"Do we make a move?" Her Highness the Princess asked softly, displeasure written on her face as she leaned close to his ear.
"Assassination requires a single, decisive strike. We haven't found the target yet. Don't alert them prematurely."
Nolan remained unhurried. After entering the camp, he slipped away from the main group and quietly made his way toward the central area.
By the faint glow cast by a nearby brazier, his gaze settled on the largest tent standing at the heart of the encampment.
At that very moment, the lords who had come from Limgrave were gathered inside.
As owners of nearly a third of Limgrave's land, everyone present could be said to have both wealth and territory in abundance.
But desire was never so easily satisfied. Those with runes wanted more runes. Those with fiefs wanted larger fiefs.
That was why they had listened to the nonsense whispered by a collateral branch of the Golden Lineage, rushing here and loudly proclaiming their intent to rebuild a dynasty.
Godefroy was laughably weak. He couldn't even defeat an Ancient Dragon Knight. And this piece of trash still wanted to be Lord? I should never have come.
Now that they were returning to Limgrave, who knew what kind of future awaited them?
That missing descendant of the Golden Family had most likely fled, probably already back in his own territory.
Rebellion could be bought off with benefits, but unless blood was exacted from them, the matter would never truly be settled. None of them underestimated that demigod's political methods.
This war was clearly a losing deal for them. Since there was no avoiding it, they could only make up their losses elsewhere.
"Damn that Ancient Dragon Knight. Because of him, we're the first ones eliminated from this war."
The Grand Lord standing at the front had his hands clasped behind his back. His sharply defined, handsome face was twisted with anger, its features slightly warped.
Once they returned to their fiefs, there would certainly be no shortage of mockery, especially from the direct followers of the Golden Lineage, who would undoubtedly tear into them with relentless criticism.
Prince Godwyn of the Golden Lineage. Why did that perfect heir of the dynasty have to die?
If he were still alive, this farce would never have happened. They had always been steadfast supporters of the Golden Lineage.
But those two remaining heirs of the Golden Family were hopeless beyond saving, and yet they had no choice but to take sides.
The young Grand Lord slowly turned around. A smile spread across his dignified, handsome face, instantly lending him an air of calm composure.
His gaze drifted leisurely across the other lords in the hall before he spoke with deliberate solemnity.
"My lords, after careful consideration, I have decided to set aside a portion of the gains from this operation and distribute it among you, to make up for any losses you may have suffered."
...
The law did not punish the many. What mattered most now was unity.
He refused to believe that Godrick would dare slaughter every lord present. That would inevitably plunge Limgrave into civil war.
And those gathered here, neither too many nor too few, were more than enough to stir up a great upheaval.
Amid a chorus of pleased voices, the spacious hall was quickly filled with a buoyant atmosphere, as though all the worries that had weighed on them moments ago had vanished.
Godrick might have been Godwyn's lawful heir, but his long stay in the Royal Capital had left his actual grip on Limgrave remarkably weak.
That was precisely why lords like them, who had chosen to submit, suddenly found themselves indispensable.
Even for a lord ruling his own lands, securing one's position and governing subordinates effectively required far more than sheer personal strength.
Especially when one's own strength falls short of surpassing most others, it becomes necessary to rely on alternative strategies and methods.
This was the proper way for a Lord to govern his subordinates when his personal power was lacking.
"All right, everyone. No matter how you look at it, even if Lord Godrick is a bit strained right now, he's still far stronger than Godefroy, isn't he?"
The young lord shouted loudly, pressing both hands downward to suppress the bursts of laughter.
"We've already offended the Haligtree and the Redmanes. We can't remain here much longer."
"Go back and make your preparations. We'll continue the search for a few more days, then we'll set out and return to Limgrave."
The moment he mentioned the Haligtree and the Redmanes, the previously relaxed mood instantly grew heavy.
Everyone present understood perfectly well that their earlier pillaging of the village had already angered both the Haligtree and the Redmanes.
Had they thoroughly wiped out all traces back then, they might have avoided leaving behind any evidence, leaving their enemies without solid proof to condemn them.
But now the matter had come to light. The looting had been going smoothly until it was exposed by the Golden Needle Knight. Staying any longer would be extremely unsafe.
At this point, regret was meaningless. The most urgent task was to make preparations as quickly as possible.
"Everyone, return and prepare properly. We'll keep searching for a few more days. Once everything is in order, we'll depart immediately for Limgrave."
As the young lord finished speaking, the others nodded in agreement.
"Lord Vadri, what about that Golden Needle Knight who ruined our plans? Are we really just going to let him go?"
The question came from a short lord whose territory was the smallest among them. For him, the cost of betrayal could set his family's power back by decades.
Vadri shot the indignant middle-aged man a sideways glance, then slowly waved his hand and shook his head.
"The Golden Needle Knight? Hmph. The Haligtree Army's momentum is unstoppable. Do you truly want to follow in Agheel's footsteps and lose your life here?"
The minor lord shuddered at those words, yet still argued unwillingly.
"But… we could ask His Highness Radahn for help. Without our support, his army would probably still be stuck in Caelid!"
Vadri shook his head firmly once again.
"Radahn has no time to deal with this right now. The Starscourge General is brimming with ambition, focused entirely on achieving his royal conquest. How could he recklessly go to war with the Valkyrie at a time like this?"
"Besides, we were in the wrong from the very beginning. The Golden Needle Knight is now a widely celebrated hero. Neither Volcano Manor nor the Redmanes would ever take our side."
Vadri let out a deep sigh, a trace of worry surfacing on his face.