Following behind Nolan, aside from Melina and the others, were the two hundred cavalrymen who had charged with him the night before.
Losses were inevitable, but the feat they had accomplished left them exhilarated.
Charging at the front and fighting bathed in blood had earned them more than the spoils of victory. It had earned them the highest honor.
The night raid on Godrick's camp alone was enough to keep them boasting for the rest of their lives.
And with the rewards Nolan had promised, they would have no worries about food or drink for the rest of their days.
Behind them came the soldiers defending Miro Fortress, followed by the noble retainers and Tarnished who had submitted and joined them along the way.
This was a great victory, and of course a grand celebration was unavoidable.
For those soldiers who had fought through blood and steel, a brief chance to relax and catch their breath was a reward they had earned.
But while enjoying the joy of victory, it was just as important to absorb the fruits of that hard-won triumph. There was no room for delay.
Taking over Godrick's lands and army was one matter. At the same time, Nolan also reorganized his own forces.
He pulled Dolores, Vyke, and Nepheli out from the rest and formed a brand-new Royal Guard cavalry order.
This knightly order stood above all other legions. Its members answered only to Nolan's commands, and they also bore the heavy responsibility of helping him command the other legions.
Their numbers were indeed small, but every one of them was a champion-class unit, and there was room to expand.
The requirements for joining, however, were harsh. One had to possess champion-level strength.
Put simply, he meant to rival the senior knights of other factions and forge an elite knight order made up entirely of champions.
"You've done well, Vyke."
Holding a parchment scroll, Nolan looked at the young man before him and offered his praise.
The more he looked at this young man, the more he liked him.
Not only was he obedient and sensible, but his character was solid as well.
More importantly, despite his outstanding ability, he was never arrogant. No matter the task, he always approached it with tremendous enthusiasm and tireless energy.
What kind of boss wouldn't like an employee like that?
After several days of hard work, Vyke had finally completed the reassignment of the surrendered soldiers and knights and hurried over to report to Nolan.
By now, he had undoubtedly become one of Nolan's most capable right-hand men.
Vyke gave a slight bow, then said,
"My lord, I've finished reassigning all the surrendered soldiers and knights according to your instructions."
"However... there are still a few thorny problems that are difficult to deal with."
Vyke glanced around furtively. Only after making sure there was no one else nearby did he lower his voice and continue.
"The more troublesome ones are Crucible Knight Capolivers and the Banished Knight Engvall."
"The former is a brave warrior who once followed the First Elden Lord in campaigns across the land, while the latter was one of the Storm King's Two Wings."
"They aren't part of Godrick's army, but they're unwilling to join us either."
"Capolivers is easy enough to deal with. He's preparing to leave Stormveil. But Engvall still wants to remain in the city."
"There are also rumors that a monster is hidden beneath Stormveil, and I was planning to lead a team down to investigate."
"If the Crucible Knight wants to leave, then let him leave."
Nolan stroked his chin and spoke after a moment's thought.
"As for Engvall, he can stay if he wants, but have someone keep watch on him."
"And as for the monster... I'll go see for myself what it is."
Nolan curled his lips into a grin.
Before long, night had fallen.
Under the cover of darkness, dense gray mist spread silently like a heavy curtain, and the whole of Stormveil Castle sank into a blurred haze.
Bursts of cold night wind howled past, like the heavy sighs of this ancient city itself.
Stormveil Castle seemed especially quiet. The orderly ranks and thunderous shouts of Godrick's army had already disappeared without a trace.
That army had been broken apart and reorganized. In its place stood a new legion atop the walls, watching the movement beyond the city.
As for many of the other soldiers, they had long since lost themselves in drink and were dead drunk.
It was not because they were arrogant or looked down on the enemy. It was simply that Godrick's army no longer had any heroic figure left who could rally morale and lead them into battle.
With Dolores, Vyke, and Nepheli, three powerful figures, stationed within the city, the ordinary soldiers knew full well that with their own strength, they could not stir up any trouble at all.
On top of that, the former Stormveil troops had already been crushed by defeat, their hearts disheartened and their morale low.
Now that they had been broken up and remixed, it had become a situation where soldiers did not know their commanders and commanders did not know their soldiers. Even the old retainers could do nothing now, no matter what they wanted.
At present, they only needed to stay wary of outside enemies, though for now there was little cause for concern.
Caria was practically half an ally, while Redmane Castle was too far away to pose any threat in the short term. Even if they sent troops, there would be plenty of time to respond.
And so the golden subjects living in this city were able to enjoy a period of relative peace and comfort.
Walking through the streets, one could hear peddlers calling out everywhere, while the air was filled with the scent of all kinds of food.
Outside the taverns, quite a few residents lay sprawled about in drunken stupors. Some shouted noisily, while others slept soundly.
At first, these golden subjects still carried some anxiety, fearing that with a change of lord, those savage Tarnished might do something terrible to them.
But when word spread that the great new Lord had announced a full year without taxes, the whole city erupted in cheers, and all that remained in their hearts was gratitude.
During his inspection, Nolan had already confirmed that everything inside the city was calm and peaceful. For the time being, there were no signs of anyone with ill intent stirring up trouble in secret.
"How are your injuries?"
Nolan sat firmly astride the Ancient Dragon's back, his gaze piercing through the thick gauzy fog below as he stared into the bottomless ravine.
The white Lord gently reached out and stroked the Ancient Dragon's scales, hard as iron and glinting with cold moonlight.
Lansseax gave a slight nod, spread her vast wings wide enough to blot out the sky, and slowly began descending toward the ground.
Each powerful beat of those wings stirred up gust after gust of roaring wind.
Her four massive claws, thick as mountains, slammed heavily onto the earth with a thunderous crash.
Ordinary soldiers and knights naturally could not hurt her.
But on the battlefield, she had run into a formidable old man, said to be the same person who rescued Mohg four years ago.
"All healed. With such a powerful ability, why didn't you use it four years ago?"
Lansseax turned her gemlike eyes toward Nolan and asked curiously.
"I only recently started to feel like I could control it."
Nolan spread his hands helplessly as he explained.
Godrick's soul and Great Rune had not disappointed him.
Together, they were like a wondrous key that opened the door to the realm of legendary champions and pushed Nolan in a single leap to that longed-for, awe-inspiring height.