Alicia's beautiful eyes burned with a fierce light.
Like a hunter locking onto its prey, eager to devour him.
Time seemed to rewind to years ago, to when they first met in Liurnia of the Lakes.
Back then, Alicia had been nothing more than a naive girl with innocent dreams.
She had longed to one day become a noble witch.
Nolan had supported her, never expecting...
She would become a Finger Maiden!
In just a few short years, she had come this far. How had he not seen that kind of talent in her back then?
"It's been a long time, Lord Nolan. By the command of the Two Fingers, I have come. From today onward, I will serve as your Finger Maiden, devoting myself to you with all my heart."
Alicia stepped closer, her delicate, radiant face blooming into a sweet smile like spring flowers.
The moment she heard the name Nolan Bethel, she had signed up without hesitation.
She hadn't known if it was the same person, but she held onto a small thread of hope.
And she hadn't been disappointed. The young man before her was exactly the one she had thought about day and night.
As Alicia gazed at Nolan, he was also sizing up the delegation from the Royal Capital.
Time had passed quickly. The girl he once knew had changed beyond recognition.
The once shy and inexperienced girl had grown into a graceful, striking woman with a proud, elegant figure.
But Nolan's attention did not stay on this old acquaintance for long.
Alicia wasn't the only one who had come from the Royal Capital.
There were four others behind her.
The journey from the Royal Capital to Limgrave was long, but as envoys of the Two Fingers, Godrick did not dare obstruct them.
As Nolan's right-hand allies, Vyke and Nepheli had built reputations of their own and were each assigned a Finger Maiden.
Nolan's group consisted of more than just those two Tarnished.
Only a handful had come this time because the others had not performed well enough to catch the attention of the figures in the Royal Capital.
The remaining two were representatives sent by the Roundtable Hold, both women.
One of them was tall, with long golden hair that shone like sunlight.
She wore finely tailored men's clothing, giving her a dashing, heroic air without losing her feminine charm.
A quiver full of arrows rested on her back, and she held a compact, agile bow in her hand.
She was the hero of the Roundtable Hold, "The Sleeping Arrow" Dolores.
The other woman was Dolores's Finger Maiden.
Standing beside her, she wore a black robe, its sleeves swaying gently like a shadow drifting through the night.
With such distinguished guests arriving at the castle, a welcome banquet was, of course, inevitable.
The grand hall was spacious and opulent, candlelight flickering as it cast a dreamlike glow across the room.
The tables were filled with exquisite dishes, alongside an abundance of fine wines.
Guests raised their glasses in toast after toast, the sound of clinking cups echoing without pause.
...
After the banquet ended, Nolan and the other three quietly slipped away from the lively hall and gathered in the solemn Lord's Hall.
The chamber was brilliantly lit. Massive candelabras burned with steady flames, illuminating every corner.
Luxurious tapestries and priceless paintings adorned the walls, displaying the former owner's noble status and refined taste.
"Lord Nolan, don't you think Godrick is being a little too generous?"
After glancing around to make sure no one else was nearby, Vyke couldn't help but voice his concern. He was being especially cautious now.
Godrick took in the Tarnished, yet at the same time looked down on them.
He understood just how difficult it was for the Tarnished to rise to positions of power.
Even the founder of the Roundtable Hold, the great hero Sir All-Knowing, was only a baron, and one without land or subjects.
Hearing this, Nepheli scratched her head and asked in confusion:
"That makes sense. Could it be that the Golden Descendant is trying to win you over?"
"It's not that simple."
Nolan smiled faintly, took out a bottle of fine wine he had been saving for years, poured a glass, and handed it to Nepheli.
"They just want to set two tigers against each other and force us to deal with the rebels."
"With this so-called title of Viscount, I've basically become a beacon in the dark."
"There's no way the rebels can ignore me now."
"But that doesn't really matter. We've taken someone else's land, and we're deep inside their territory. A fight was inevitable anyway."
"What you should really watch out for is that Dolores."
"I've heard of the Two Fingers assigning Finger Maidens, but never of them assigning a hero."
"Understood."
Vyke and Nepheli nodded at the same time, then spoke in unison:
"So Godrick is using us like a blade. Are we just going to let that pass?"
Nolan's eyes sharpened as he looked toward the distant horizon, speaking slowly:
"We take the Count's territory first. After that, he's next."
At the front lines, the battle was already fierce and deadlocked, soldiers from both sides locked in brutal combat.
But the rebels' rear was relatively exposed. It was too good an opportunity to miss.
The fighting so far had only been small skirmishes. This time, he would personally take the field. Did they really think a top-tier hero was just for show?
Standing nearby, Vyke and Nepheli both had a spark of excitement in their eyes, as if a fire had been lit deep within them.
The world had already fallen into chaos. And they, the Tarnished who had once lost their grace, now bore the duty of restoring its former glory and saving the dynasty.
As descendants of heroes, who wouldn't want to hear their name sung by bards?
Nolan noticed Melina frowning, her expression troubled.
He figured he should talk to this stiff girl a bit more, let her feel included, so he asked:
"You look worried. Something on your mind?"
"Godrick has been hiding in Stormveil Castle. Your forces aren't enough to threaten him."
Melina hesitated for a while before finally speaking up.
Stormveil Castle was heavily fortified and well defended. Charging in with so few troops would be suicide.
They had only just reached an agreement. She didn't want to lose this ally so soon.
"Then we'll give him a push. Make him come out on his own."
"Make him come out? Someone as cowardly as him?"
Melina's eyes widened as she shot back, full of disbelief.
Nolan chuckled softly, a teasing note in his voice.
"Sometimes you're smart, but it doesn't really show."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Melina puffed up her cheeks.
She didn't quite understand, but her instincts told her it wasn't anything nice.
"It means you look a bit slow sometimes. Makes you seem pretty cute."
The girl was instantly speechless. If he wanted to tease her, why not just say it directly?
She felt a little annoyed, but not quite enough to truly be angry. It left her feeling oddly conflicted.
"Let's use the Count's head to give the Golden Descendant a bit of motivation."
Nolan turned away, hands clasped behind his back as he looked out the window.
Now and then, the glint of armor flashed across the streets below. He murmured to himself:
"It's finally begun. Let this chaotic world end sooner rather than later."