Seeing that Nolan still said nothing, Melina took a deep breath and continued.
"But now, you have no Finger Maiden by your side... so I am willing to take their place and fulfill that duty."
"I can turn runes into strength. If you seek the Elden Ring, this will surely aid you!"
"...So, I hope you will help me. Take me to the foot of the Erdtree."
Melina spoke with complete seriousness.
Yet the knight standing across from her remained silent, as if he were thinking through something important.
Several seconds passed like that. The mysterious aura surrounding Melina gradually faded.
Her slender brows lifted slightly, a trace of confusion appearing in her eyes.
The silence was deafening.
What exactly does this guy mean? Whether he agrees or not, he could at least give an answer!
Nolan, however, was not daydreaming. He was weighing how to deal with this girl.
He had already decided what kind of path he would walk.
There were only two possible endings for his future.
Either he would die on the road of conquest.
Or he would ascend to the throne of the world.
That said, the Spectral Steed Whistle already belonged to him, and he was capable of converting runes into strength on his own.
Agreeing this easily felt like taking a loss.
As for the possibility that one day he might storm the Royal Capital and use this girl as kindling to ignite the Erdtree...
That thought had never once appeared in his mind.
"If I agree to this deal, what benefit do I get?" Nolan asked.
Melina hesitated briefly, then removed the Spectral Steed Whistle.
"Torrent and I should be enough. Or is that still not satisfactory to you?"
Countless Tarnished longed to have a Finger Maiden at their side but could never obtain one.
Now she had come to him on her own initiative. As a Tarnished, shouldn't he accept without hesitation?
"Is that so?"
Nolan took the ring and put it back on his finger.
"Hmm... This Spectral Steed Whistle was mine to begin with. But with you included, I suppose that makes it worthwhile."
"Alright. Deal."
With the agreement settled, Nolan immediately began the experiment he had been eager to test for a long time.
He withdrew a batch of runes from the storeroom, promptly forgot all about Vyke, and brought Melina into a small room.
It was not that Nolan valued beauty over friendship. Improving his own strength was simply the highest priority.
Unfortunately, the result was disappointing. The efficiency of converting runes into strength did not improve at all.
"Sorry..." Melina's soft voice came from the darkness.
She looked at Nolan sitting on the bed across from her, his face full of frustration, and felt a trace of guilt.
After messing around with this knight for the entire day, she suddenly realized something.
She did not seem to be particularly useful after all.
In that case, the terms of this deal were clearly far from equal.
But Nolan had already resolved the doubt that had been bothering him, so he did not dwell much on the rest.
The deal he understood was simple: Melina and Torrent.
The ability to convert runes into strength was, at best, just an extra.
What? Did he misunderstand what she meant?
Sorry, but that was her fault for not explaining it clearly. The Lord of the Agreement would only faithfully carry out the agreement as it was made.
Having met Melina and recovered his little steed, Nolan was in an excellent mood. He brought them out of the earthen fortress to get some fresh air.
The moment they stepped outside the gate, Nolan noticed Melina's body beginning to turn transparent.
He immediately reached out and stopped her.
Melina turned to Nolan with a puzzled look, her brows slightly furrowed.
"What are you doing?"
"You're turning into a spirit, right?"
Melina gave a small nod and explained, "Yes. In truth, I'm not human..."
"Don't worry. I don't have any prejudice against non-human beings. To be honest, I know quite a few myself."
As he said this, a particularly gentle and friendly smile spread across his face.
Since the girl had willingly offered herself as part of the payment, now was the time for him to exercise a bit of authority as the one benefiting from the deal.
Nolan looked at her seriously and spoke in a tone that left no room for argument.
"From today onward, you stay by my side. No more hiding yourself like before or sneaking around out of sight."
"I'm not used to having someone lurking in the shadows, secretly watching me."
Nolan stated his demand plainly. He had always been honest with himself.
If the girl could not provide much practical help elsewhere, then it made more sense to keep her nearby.
Every now and then he could admire her pretty face, which was pleasant enough to look at. Nothing more than that. Absolutely no improper intentions.
"...Alright."
Melina parted her lips slightly, hesitated for a moment, and eventually agreed.
She did not hide herself because she was afraid of being seen. It was simply more convenient and avoided unnecessary trouble.
Besides, she had thought it over. At the moment, the abilities of a Finger Maiden were not proving useful.
If she refused even such a small request, what if the other party decided to break their agreement?
Melina looked at Nolan again and again.
Judging from his demeanor, even if they went their separate ways, he clearly had no intention of returning Torrent to her.
In fact, Torrent himself might not even want to leave with her.
Melina could not help but feel a bit of regret. If she had known things would turn out like this, she would never have come to Limgrave.
The little steed had switched sides the moment it saw this man, without the slightest hesitation.
Given the situation now, she was practically tied to Nolan. Leaving was no longer an option.
As this thought surfaced, Melina suddenly froze again.
A question abruptly flashed through her mind.
"Come to think of it... why did I come to Limgrave in the first place?"
The doubt surged through her thoughts like a rising tide.
Yet no matter how hard she tried to think, she could not recall the crucial answer.
A sharp headache began to form. Just then, a broad and steady hand gently grasped hers, warmth spreading through the contact.
"What are you doing?"
Melina's expression changed in a way rarely seen from her. She quickly raised her head, surprise written across her face as she blurted out the question.
Nolan did nothing else. He simply held her hand firmly and did not let go, walking straight toward the training grounds.
"The past has already happened. It won't disappear. Right now it's just playing hide-and-seek with you."
"Look. The present is beneath your feet, the future lies ahead, and the past is waiting there for you to find it."
"So for now, I'll take you to meet some new companions. Better than letting misunderstandings happen later."
Nolan walked forward with steady steps, speaking calmly as he went.
He did not launch into long-winded philosophical explanations. Instead, he quickly brought the conversation back to the practical matter at hand.
After all, a girl with an unknown identity and mysterious origins appearing in front of everyone without warning...
Anyone with a bit of sense would find that suspicious and assume something was hidden behind it.