Count Luke was overjoyed.
Since when had he become this persuasive?
What he lacked most right now was exactly this kind of high-level combat power. If he could bring this Tarnished over to his side, it would be perfect.
"But I have no intention of sharing Limgrave with anyone else. This land has no need for more rulers."
Nolan gave a faint smile and spoke slowly.
The hall fell completely silent. Everyone stared in shock.
He intended to take Limgrave for himself. That ambition was far too great.
If word got out, he could forget about alliances. He would be completely isolated.
What noble would willingly hand over their own land?
If Nolan were relying on nothing but empty words, those arrogant nobles would have dismissed him outright, mocking him for overestimating himself.
But at this moment, the constant roar of battle from within the city rolled through the air like thunder.
The sound alone made people's hearts tighten. Some even began to tremble, not daring to act rashly.
Count Luke's face darkened, a resolute glint flashing in his eyes.
He knew the situation had already reached a critical point. There was no room for hesitation.
He made his decision immediately.
"Kill him!"
At the shout, Enrique and Baryes moved at once.
They shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow, several elite knights following close behind.
With these two heroes leading the charge, the others quickly steadied themselves, their courage returning.
Family warriors and noble knights surged into motion, gradually surrounding Nolan at the center, forming a tight encirclement.
"You can still regret this," Count Luke said coldly.
The heroes who once followed Godefroy in the assault on the Royal Capital had long since died or been crippled. These two foreign knights were now his greatest support against Godrick's army.
The Banished Knight had been recruited at great cost. It was said he once served under the Storm King's Wings of the Storm.
That title belonged to the two strongest Storm Knights under the Storm King.
They were veterans who had fought against the First Elden Lord's Golden Army during the age of conquest and survived.
The Redmane Knight, on the other hand, had been personally chosen by Radahn and sent as part of his personal guard. His strength was beyond doubt.
As the horn for the siege sounded, night fully descended in the blink of an eye. Torches along the walls flickered dimly, barely lighting the surroundings.
A fierce wind swept across the battlements, making the flames sway violently, as if they might go out at any moment.
Count Luke stood atop the tower with a straight sword in hand. In front of him were fully armed knights.
Behind him, the base of the walls was packed solid with enemy soldiers, a dark mass stretching as far as the eye could see.
By the current situation, Nolan Bethel's forces were still fewer in number.
Yet with Nepheli and Vyke leading the charge, they were gaining the upper hand.
This was the power of heroes.
Still, they couldn't break through to offer support just yet.
As for Melina and Dolores, they stood off to the side, quietly observing, as if the battle had nothing to do with them.
Unless someone foolishly rushed at them, they would not act.
If the two knights could cut down this Tarnished, the crisis at Miro Fortress would be resolved.
They might even take in the warriors below and expand into the northern lands.
Since the founding of the Golden Order, the Miro House had been one of Limgrave's great lords.
But three years ago, during the Shattering, they backed the wrong side. Many of their family heads were killed, and ever since, the family had been in constant turmoil.
They knew it was the work of a Golden Needle Knight, yet Godrick was determined to wipe them out, and the reason he gave left no room for argument.
If they wanted the common folk to believe this was a righteous rebellion, the blame had to be pinned on him.
After all, what those ignorant masses believed was decided by nobles like them.
No one present could have imagined that the one who had killed eleven lords was standing right in front of them.
Faced with this second attempt at recruitment, Nolan didn't even bother to respond.
In that split second, his greatsword swung out.
A violent storm erupted, surging forward like a savage beast and sweeping straight into the charging knights.
How could ordinary knights possibly react in time?
Their standard-issue armor stood no chance against such overwhelming force.
Caught off guard, they felt a crushing impact slam into them. Some were even lifted clean off their feet.
They blinked instinctively, only to realize in horror that there was nothing beneath them anymore.
What was happening?
Boom!
Bursts of blood exploded as more than a dozen knights were torn apart in an instant.
Mangled limbs fell to the ground. Heads rolled across the floor.
For a brief moment, everything fell silent, broken only by the thud of heavy objects hitting the ground. Count Luke, who had just been preparing to act, was visibly shaken.
Nolan stood where he was, lifting his right foot, his gaze cold as he looked at the remaining knights.
And in his eyes, they saw killing intent. Fear took hold of them.
"Protect the Count!"
"My lords, kill him!"
The silence shattered instantly as both sides moved at once.
Compared to the three heroes at the center, however, the surrounding guards were at a complete loss.
They might have had their own ambitions, but they had never imagined being overwhelmed the moment the fight began, unable to fight back at all.
The Banished Knight gripped his greatsword with both hands and swung it upward, raising it high overhead.
At the same time, the Redmane Knight mirrored the motion, his greatsword blazing with intense fire.
The former unleashed a Storm Blade that roared forward.
The latter's greatsword ignited, flames raging along its edge.
Storm Blade!
Flame of the Redmanes!
The flames wrapped around the storm, growing even hotter and more violent, forming a massive, coiling fire dragon that lunged forward with bared fangs.
The scorching heat filled every inch of space ahead, as if determined to burn the Tarnished to ash.
"A combo attack? Looks like you've trained together."
Nolan showed no fear. He glanced at the incoming blaze, then raised his right leg as storm and lightning gathered around it before slamming it down.
"Before the battle for the throne begins, I'll warm up a bit."
Lightning Storm!
A deafening explosion rang out.
Boom!!!
The overwhelming forces collided and combined, crashing violently into the ground.