After the brief meeting, everyone went their separate ways.
Tonight was a little unusual for Nepheli. For once, she did not cling to Nolan the way she usually did.
Vyke, meanwhile, left in a hurry and returned to his room early.
They had finally been assigned Finger Maidens, so naturally they could not wait to experience what it felt like to fuse runes into their bodies.
Melina quietly followed Nolan. When their eyes met, Nolan casually took her hand.
His reason was simple enough: to keep Melina from having another episode.
Melina's memories were in complete disarray. Even she did not know whether her amnesia and headaches really counted as an illness.
But with Nolan holding her hand like this, all she felt was warmth, so she did not refuse.
As they walked, Melina suddenly asked,
"I remember you once said that you served as both a Dark Moon Knight and a Golden Needle Knight."
"If that is the case, then why not ask Caria and the Haligtree for help?"
"Those two factions are both quite powerful. If we had their support, dealing with Godrick would be much easier, wouldn't it?"
Melina's face showed no particular reaction, and her tone remained as calm and flat as ever.
"That's why I say you're adorably dense."
Nolan could not help laughing. Then he lifted a hand, lightly tapped Melina on the forehead, and teased her,
"Anyone with eyes can see that Caria is already in serious trouble."
"Otherwise, with the strength it once had, how could it have spent so long without taking the Magic Academy?"
"And if the Haligtree wants to come out, there are only two routes. One is through the snow mountain, and the other is by sea."
"But if they go through the snow mountain, no matter which way they take, they still can't avoid the Royal Capital's sphere of control."
"As for reaching Limgrave by sea, the only places they can land for now are Castle Morne to the south and Fort Haight."
"That means not only a long journey, but also constant vigilance against threats from other factions."
"And both of those strongholds are hard to take. Even if we forced our way through, we'd still suffer losses."
"Then there's Mt. Gelmir and Caelid. The moment we step into either of those regions, we'd be up against Morgott and Radahn."
"Besides, if we send the main army out now, the Haligtree will lose all ability to defend itself. What happens if someone strikes it from behind?"
Nolan patiently laid it all out for the little blockhead, hoping to get her mind working a little more, before she really did turn into a piece of wood.
In truth, the Haligtree's situation was just as awkward as Mt. Gelmir's, isolated in the north of the Lands Between.
That was also why Nolan had stayed behind.
Everyone already knew he had returned, so what was the point of going back?
He would not be able to do anything there. It would be completely meaningless.
Miquella wanted to make a move, but he could not overpower Morgott and the Royal Capital's army. No matter what schemes he came up with, the final outcome would only be destruction.
On the other hand, if they killed Godrick and seized Limgrave, they could reverse the situation in one stroke. Then they could coordinate with the Haligtree and form a pincer attack from two sides.
The distance between this place and the Royal Capital was great, with many barriers in between, so there was no need to worry about facing Morgott head-on right away.
That would give him much more time to continue growing stronger.
Nolan was calm, and he could see the situation clearly.
If they wanted to attack the Royal Capital, then at the very least they needed the strength to fight Morgott. Otherwise, they would only be forcing Malenia to bloom once again.
And if that happened, all their previous efforts would have been for nothing.
"Hmph. I'm not stupid. My memory is just a little scrambled."
Melina frowned slightly, resting one hand against her forehead as she muttered in mild annoyance.
Why does he keep calling me stupid? I can't even argue with him. So irritating.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Hearing that, Nolan paused for a moment. The Melina before him seemed a little different from the one in his memories.
Melina always looked proper and composed, but in reality she was not as stiff and dull as a piece of emotionless wood.
If anything, her inner feelings were actually quite rich. She was simply used to acting reserved and pretending to be serious.
Could it be that the future Melina's wooden demeanor and emotional detachment really did have something to do with Vyke serving as such a cautionary example?
At the thought of it, Nolan could not help recalling the speculations he had once made about this in his previous life.
But now, there was no way to verify whether any of them were true.
It had to be said, Vyke was truly a man of loyalty and conviction. Rather than sacrifice his Finger Maiden to burn the Erdtree, he chose to touch the Frenzied Flame and burn himself instead.
In the end, he lost his mind, and the Erdtree remained unburned.
The Frenzied Flame sought the unification of all things.
Put simply, it meant destroying the entire world, erasing all boundaries, and merging everything into one.
Unless he had no other choice, Nolan had no intention of touching that power.
And once someone embraced the Frenzied Flame, they would also face Melina's relentless pursuit.
Clearly, its will did not align with Marika's vision of a better world.
"Stay in the room next to mine tonight."
Nolan suddenly broke the silence.
Melina looked puzzled, but after a moment, she gave a slight nod.
Normally, whenever Nolan was not with Nepheli, he would stay with Melina.
Just as Melina was lost in thought, she suddenly looked up.
Nolan's Finger Maiden was already standing quietly at the bedroom door, as if she had been waiting there for some time.
Melina watched as Nolan led Alicia into the room, her gaze fixed on them for a full two seconds.
Then, as if snapping back to herself, she quietly pushed open the door beside her.
Time had passed in the blink of an eye. Nearly four years had gone by since they last parted.
It was not a long time, but it was far from short.
Looking at Alicia now, Nolan felt a trace of emotion stir within him.
"It's late. Why aren't you resting? If someone sees you, it'll only lead to unnecessary misunderstandings."
Nolan spoke with a hint of helplessness.
"Have you forgotten, my honored Tarnished? I am your personal Finger Maiden."
"To serve at your side is both my duty and my honor. I believe no one would misunderstand."
Alicia bent slightly at the waist, leaning forward in a polite bow.
The movement was striking, yet the sweet smile on her beautiful face did not waver in the slightest.
"I've never heard of a Finger Maiden needing to go this far."
As he spoke, Nolan casually handed her a cup of steaming tea.
Coming to him this late at night, who knew what she had in mind? It was hard not to be wary.
He already had one girl constantly at his side. Now it seemed the one before him would be no different.
Nolan did not mind this at all.
In fact, having this girl as his Finger Maiden saved him a great deal of trouble.
"I'm not like other Finger Maidens."
Alicia stepped lightly forward, stopping right in front of Nolan as she spoke.