The cavalry stormed into every room and tent like a pack of rabid beasts, overturning chests, tearing open cabinets, and rummaging through every corner where clues or contraband might be hidden.
In the past, these men had treasured their precious runes above all else. Now, even those held no interest for them.
The chaos had escalated to this extent because the lords commanding the army were all dead. Worse still, the powerful families backing them remained intact.
If the matter were pursued to the end, everyone involved would face severe punishment.
Had the lords fallen in open battle, there might have been room for understanding.
But instead, they had died inexplicably while surrounded by layers of tight security.
Every knight assigned to guard duty was implicated. At best, they would be disgraced. At worst, they could be expelled from the Lands Between entirely.
Compared to ordinary cavalrymen, the high-ranking commanders were even more anxious.
After all, the entire defensive arrangement had been planned and deployed under their direction.
Now the lords had been killed right under their noses. There was no escaping the charge of gross negligence. They would bear the brunt of the blame.
Yet no matter how frantically they searched, the result was the same.
They scoured every corner. Aside from stopping one innocent caravan after another, they found nothing. Not a single trace of the target.
...
"Hey, you lot heard the latest? They say a mysterious Golden Needle Knight has shown up around the Altus Plateau, going around righting wrongs!"
"And the moment he runs into bandits or brigands, he cuts them down without a word. From what I hear, he doesn't leave them in one piece."
The tavern was loud and crowded. Someone lowered his voice as he spoke, but the words still carried.
The rumor hit the room like a stone dropped into still water. Conversations flared up instantly.
"That's nothing! The man's a monster! He rode straight into the Limgrave Army's camp alone and cut down five champions who fought in the Leyndell Siege! Not one of the lord's guards survived!"
The speaker was flushed with excitement, as if he had witnessed the carnage himself.
"Oh? I also heard that before this, he slew that vicious Flying Dragon in Limgrave and saved a village that had been raided! They say he even received a reward from General Starscourge."
"Hah! Good riddance! Only shame is he didn't do it sooner. We've suffered plenty passing through there. Who knows how much hard-earned money they squeezed out of us."
Someone complained bitterly.
"Shh—keep it down! You can't just say things like that. Whatever else they are, they're nobles appointed by the Dynasty. If that gets out and brings trouble down on us, we'll regret it."
"What's there to be afraid of? The lord's dead. What's left are just a bunch of beaten stragglers. Give it time, they'll be scurrying back to Limgrave."
Along the wide avenue, taverns stood scattered on either side. Merchants traveling north and south gathered with common folk, whispering and arguing in low voices.
There had been too many soldiers present at the battle, and too many so-called "spies" had slipped away in the chaos. There was no keeping the story buried.
Amid the noise, a young man sat in an inconspicuous corner.
He sipped his tea at ease, his features gentle and refined, a faint smile playing on his lips. More than a few young men and women found themselves staring a little too long.
No one would have matched this harmless-looking figure with the ruthless Golden Needle Knight of rumor.
Instead, it was the imposing armor he wore that drew a group of eager youths to gather around him, asking with bright eyes whether they might join the Haligtree Army.
Faced with their hopeful expressions, Nolan took an unhurried sip of fruit wine before replying,
"That's not something I can decide. But if you truly want to enlist, I can ask someone who has the authority."
An army was not stronger simply because it was larger. The Haligtree Army valued quality, not sheer numbers.
And every additional soldier meant another mouth to feed. Expand recklessly, and even the Haligtree's finances would buckle.
Maintaining an army burned through runes at a frightening pace. Back in the Haligtree, even that Saintess would grow tight-lipped the moment runes were mentioned.
It wasn't miserliness. They simply didn't have the money.
"Looks like I'll have to see that unreasonable woman again. No conscience at all. I've treated her so well, and she still targets me."
Nolan muttered under his breath, entirely unaware of his own lack of self-reflection. He tossed a few runes onto the table and rose leisurely to his feet.
He showed no concern about being tracked down. Truth be told, those soldier-bandits likely hoped never to cross paths with him again.
After what Nolan had displayed in the main camp, anyone coming after him without a first-rate champion leading the charge would be walking to their deaths.
Even in a top-tier knightly order, the number of members who truly qualified as hero-level units rarely exceeded twenty.
In a force like the Limgrave Army, smaller in scale and weaker overall, such elites were even fewer, and their strength fell short by comparison.
Nolan lifted a sack of Roa Fruit and fed Torrent until the steed was satisfied, then brushed a hand along his mane.
The little fellow was remarkably perceptive. The longer they stayed together, the closer he became.
Of course, Nolan hadn't forgotten the princess who had always been at his side. He held up a cup of fruit wine and let her drink her fill as well.
"I knew you were talented," Ranni whispered beside his ear, a trace of satisfaction in her voice, "but I didn't expect you to reach this level."
Less than two years ago, he had been nothing more than an ordinary knight. Now he was a genuine great hero. Calling it extraordinary talent would not be an exaggeration.
In the face of the princess's praise, Nolan responded with calm humility.
"Thank you for your praise, Your Highness. If I didn't possess even this much ability, how could I be worthy of the title of Dark Moon Knight?"
He was not being falsely modest. In the Lands Between, his strength now placed him among the true powerhouses. In any faction, he would count as high-end combat strength.
From atop the distant sorcerer's tower, the princess's lips curved slightly upward. She could not help but admire her own judgment.
Strong, gifted, and smooth of tongue—where else would you find a knight so exceptional?
Her puppet body made it easy to feign lifelessness. From time to time, she would pretend to fall silent, quietly observing the young man.
The more she watched, the more certain she became.
He was perfectly suited to be the Dark Moon Knight.