A flicker of hesitation crossed Will's face as he continued:
"According to the rumors outside, the Tarnished now occupying Morton Manor cut through the entire Morton family army by himself!"
"That's something no ordinary person could possibly do!"
Even though these minor nobles didn't command many troops, no normal knight, no matter how strong, could accomplish something like that.
Especially not under these circumstances. Outnumbered and fighting alone against a hundred.
Only a legendary hero could pull off a feat like that.
"I also heard he captured Morton Manor in less than a quarter of an hour..."
As he said this, Leonor couldn't help glancing toward the towering earthen fortress in the distance.
The soldiers there wore polished armor that gleamed brightly. In a remote place like this, they already counted as elite troops. It was obvious a great deal of money had been spent on them.
Leonor himself could fight a hundred men alone. But doing it that quickly was simply absurd.
For a moment, all the lords fell silent. The rumor truly was unsettling.
With strength like that, no matter which lord he chose to serve under, he would surely become a highly valued general.
But the same question surfaced in everyone's mind.
Why would someone like that remain in such a small place?
"That's nothing more than exaggerated gossip from the common folk."
Baron Will showed a trace of hesitation.
Thinking about the cavalry squad he had lost half a month ago made his heart ache, yet he still spoke firmly:
"In my opinion, those villagers spend their days shut up in their little settlement. They've never seen the wider world!"
"As for that so-called Tarnished, how could he possibly compare to you?"
The Pureblood Knight standing nearby remained silent. He merely swept Baron Will with a cold glance.
Under that gaze, Baron Will trembled and immediately shut his mouth.
Leonor understood perfectly well why the man was flattering him, but he had no intention of killing the Tarnished.
The Dynasty was in need of capable people. Heroes were valuable assets. If he could persuade that man to join them, it would be a great accomplishment.
"What should we do? Please give the order. We'll act according to your instructions."
Baron Will still seemed somewhat unwilling to let it go.
"Hmph. Go back and prepare the troops. Tonight we attack from the south."
Leonor didn't spend long thinking before making his decision.
The moment he heard this, a flash of delight appeared in Baron Will's eyes.
But then he seemed to remember something important and hurriedly asked:
"Once we take Morton Manor, what should we do with the Morton family's territory?"
"They have five villages. If we don't handle it properly, it might attract suspicion from above."
The lords gathered around him all showed greedy looks in their eyes.
They understood clearly that the Dynasty of Blood possessed terrifying power. For now, however, their existence could not be exposed.
"Truly a group of insatiable fools. Then again, the greedier someone is, the easier they are to control."
The Pureblood Knight snorted coldly. A low, ruthless voice came from beneath his helmet.
"You may divide those villages among yourselves. The Dynasty has no need for them. One village per family."
"But pay close attention to that Tarnished. Capture him alive if possible."
"As long as this mission is completed successfully, our Lord will grant all of you even greater rewards."
"Capture him alive? And there are even bigger rewards?"
Several of the nobles immediately grew excited.
They had heard that the Dynasty of Blood possessed something called Accursed Blood, a power capable of strengthening a person.
If they could also become heroes, they wouldn't have to live in such humiliation.
Golden nobles reduced to wagging their tails like lapdogs. It was unbearable.
"We'll go make preparations right away."
…
A patrol squad had just finished its round and returned to the earthen fort. Moments later, another large force burst out like a gust of wind.
The thunder of hooves rang out endlessly, clouds of dust rising behind them.
A conversation had taken place not far away earlier, and Nolan had seen everything.
He sat on Nepheli's large bed, leisurely drinking fruit wine while occasionally glancing at her as she changed into a brand new set of armor.
At first, she had not been used to it. The heavy armor felt cumbersome and restricted her movement.
But after being struck once by a hidden arrow, she had learned the lesson well. On the battlefield, caution mattered.
There had only ever been one First Elden Lord. Not every barbarian warrior possessed a body that feared nothing.
With a casual flick of his wrist, Nolan tossed the wine bottle toward Nepheli.
Standing at a higher position, he looked down over the hundreds of soldiers gathered below, their armor shining brilliantly.
Under the sunlight, the armor reflected dazzling silver light. From a distance, the mass of soldiers looked like a vast, rolling silver sea.
"So those damned bastards finally showed up. I'm sorry for dragging you into this trouble, Your Excellency."
Nepheli caught the bottle. Her eyes lingered briefly on the rim before she raised it and drank the entire thing in one bold gulp, her heroic bearing on full display.
This man's lips tasted sweet.
The corner of Nolan's mouth lifted slightly.
"Why worry so much? If anyone should be concerned, it ought to be me."
"This is my territory, and those soldiers down there are my people."
As he spoke, he casually reached out and straightened the warrior woman's slightly messy hair.
Nepheli wore thick, sturdy battle armor, yet the curves of her figure were still impossible to hide.
The barbarian girl Nepheli Loux had not gained a father unrelated by blood. Instead, she had gained a lord who understood her completely.
Among the powerful figures of the Lands Between, a top tier knight class fighter would barely stand out. But in this remote corner, he had already become one of the three strongest.
The only problem was that the gap between the one ranked first and the ones ranked second and third seemed a little too large.
"Sigh. It's a shame we don't have a Finger Maiden here."
"If we had their help, we could grow stronger much faster. Things wouldn't be this troublesome."
Nepheli frowned slightly, a trace of regret in her voice.
Following the man named Nolan Bethel actually made her quite happy.
It was not just because he was handsome. More importantly, he was powerful. At least for now, she saw no chance of defeating him.
That kind of strength earned genuine respect.
"No need to rush. Once we make a name for ourselves, the Two Fingers will naturally assign us a Finger Maiden."
"A war between the Tarnished and the Golden Nobles. In the entire Lands Between, we're probably the only ones doing something like this."
Nolan smiled, his tone relaxed and confident.
Everything was unfolding exactly as he had expected.
A Tarnished should have been hiding and wandering, waiting for a chance to kill a Demigod, seize the Great Rune, and repair the Elden Ring.
But Nolan had a different idea.
The story of a hero had already ended.
Now he would face the many kings of this world as a Lord.