"Oh, come on, don't be mad. It doesn't matter where I die anyway. And besides, haven't we still got other things left to collect?"
Nolan spread his hands. The Golden Needle Knight Captain shot him a sideways look, and he clearly saw the flicker of surprise in her bright eyes.
"You knew?" Leda paused.
"Don't treat me like a fool." Nolan scratched his head.
"You're right. You're not." Leda nodded.
Thinking back, those arrangements that had deliberately placed Nolan in danger had indeed been rather obvious.
And yet, he had slipped through every crisis and lived to see today. That in itself was unexpected.
After a brief silence, Leda asked, "Since you know the truth, what do you plan to do?"
"I'll honor the agreement, of course. But how I do it is my choice."
Nolan raised a hand. The pure golden ring on his finger caught Leda's eye.
"You can trust His Highness," Leda said, as if finally letting out a breath. But after that one line, she said nothing more.
His Highness's charm had never worked on him before. Now that Nolan was stronger, his soul should be stronger too. It would be even less likely to take hold.
No one could bend this knight's will.
After a moment, she said in a low voice, "Come with me. Princess Malenia wants to see you."
"Alright."
Nolan straightened his clothes and followed her out of the tent.
They had been walking without incident when they suddenly saw a squad of guards hurrying about, questioning people at various checkpoints.
"What's going on?"
"I heard that several physicians and warriors have gone missing lately. They're investigating."
Nolan raised an eyebrow. The situation sounded familiar.
Could Mohg be making a move again?
Lost in thought, he barely noticed they had already reached a massive tent.
Leda stopped and looked up at him. "Wait here. I'll go in and report."
"No need. Let him enter."
Before Nolan could respond, a cool, distant voice drifted from inside the tent, carrying unquestionable authority.
Leda answered respectfully and stepped aside.
Nolan took a deep breath, lifted his chin, and strode into the tent without the slightest trace of hesitation.
One day, when he reclaimed the dignity of a Lord of Cinder, he'd see how this infuriating woman would bully him then.
He gave the interior a quick glance, then, under the pretext that it might expose Haligtree secrets, slipped the princess back into the Spirit Ring.
The tent was arranged with stark simplicity.
A map of the Altus Plateau lay spread across a table. Beside it stood a sand table filled with miniature terrain models. There was a long wooden table and a few plain chairs. Little else.
The most eye-catching object was a golden prosthetic hand resting on the table, faintly glowing, clearly priceless.
At the long table sat a woman with crimson hair, bent over as she wrote military orders.
She was nearly three meters tall, her physique like something carved from marble. When her eyes lifted, they were sharp as a curved blade, as though she could flay the Golden Needle Knight where he stood.
Being a sister-obsessed woman was terrifying.
"Nolan, you've given me quite the surprise."
She did not lift her head, yet Nolan could clearly feel her gaze locking onto him. He found a seat and sat down.
It happened to be right beside Malenia, less than a meter between them.
At that distance, he could even catch the faint scent that clung to her.
He knew her temperament well. Even if she meant to rough up her future brother-in-law, she would do it discreetly. If her sister found out, it would be troublesome. And soldiers stood guard outside the tent.
Since she clearly intended to leave him hanging as a show of authority, Nolan simply looked her over in return. If he had to wait, he might as well enjoy the view.
He wasn't about to suffer needlessly.
Just as he was studying her, a crisp snapping sound rang through the tent.
Nolan looked down.
The pen in Malenia's hand had snapped clean in two.
The Valkyrie slowly raised her head. After letting out a long breath, she turned her gaze to Nolan and said quietly,
"You were doing just fine in Liurnia of the Lakes. Why come here?"
Nolan cleared his throat and answered with an unusually serious expression,
"Ahem. There's an extremely urgent matter. It concerns my Princess."
"Oh? Then speak. You know I dislike riddles."
Malenia's eyes narrowed slightly. The words "my Princess" grated on her ears. She suspected he was doing it on purpose.
But compared to something "extremely urgent" involving her sister, that irritation meant nothing.
Of course, if he was playing with her, she would make him find out whether the Blade of Miquella was still sharp.
The thought sharpened her gaze. She fixed him with a cold stare.
Nolan pressed his lips together. He had rehearsed this conversation in his mind for days. On the way here, he had finally found a decent angle to begin.
"This also involves the Royal Allied Army. The Haligtree Army has had people disappearing lately, hasn't it?"
"That was Mohg. He's Morgott's younger brother. He worships the Formless Mother."
"Morgott's brother?"
Malenia's crescent-shaped brows drew together.
Morgott was the current ruler in the Royal Capital. She was well aware of him.
She did not know every detail about the hero who had risen so suddenly, but one thing was certain: he was powerful. Otherwise, he could never have subdued the Fell Omen.
If this was his younger brother, then disrupting the Royal Allied Army in defense of the Royal Capital made sense.
But faith in the Formless Mother instead of the Mother and the Greater Will?
That was interesting.
So he had his own ambitions.
Malenia accepted the fruit wine Nolan poured for her. She did not scold him for breaking etiquette by drinking inside her command tent.
After taking a light sip, she asked,
"What does that have to do with my sister? Why target her?"
"As I said, he's Morgott's brother. And he's also walking the path of becoming a Lord."
Nolan did not embellish. He stated only what he knew. The rest she could piece together herself. That was enough.
Many major events in the game had always been vague. Even someone who had crossed over could not claim certainty about their full truth.
How many things in this world could truly be described as "absolute"?
He did not need to understand Mohg's exact intentions. It was enough for Malenia to realize that Trina might be in danger.
"I see."
As expected, Malenia crushed the wine glass in her hand.
Her sister was not only a Demigod, but also an Empyrean.
From ancient times, the rule of a God and Lord had always gone hand in hand.