Moonrithyll could not help shaking her head, as if helpless against this whole chain of events.
"I am a knight who serves Her Highness Rellana, so naturally I must follow at her side. Her Highness Rellana has now gone to Shadow Keep."
Nolan, who had been quietly watching from the side, looked with interest at the slightly embarrassed Carian Knight.
He knew very well that there was a complicated, difficult-to-explain relationship between Her Highness the Princess and Messmer.
A moving love story between a princess and a prince should have been a fine tale, but the seniority of the people involved was not quite right, and once word spread, the story took on a rather different flavor.
The knight before him clearly treated this as a closely guarded secret and was unwilling to say much.
Just then, as if made uncomfortable by Nolan's stare, Moonrithyll suddenly raised her head and fixed her gaze straight on Ranni.
"What about you, Your Highness? How did you come to this place? And why are you together with those mysterious Numen?"
Ranni had many questions she wanted to ask, but when she heard that, she instinctively looked toward Nolan.
Nolan smiled and explained softly, "We found these Numen in the dungeon of Tower Settlement. Since they had nowhere to go, we brought them with us."
Moonrithyll stood to the side, listening, her suspicious gaze moving back and forth between Ranni and Nolan.
Then she suddenly remembered what Miquella had said earlier. A flash of understanding crossed her mind, and everything clicked at once.
"So this is Lord Consort?"
"N-no, he isn't!" Ranni's voice rose at once.
Her sudden reaction startled Moonrithyll for a moment, but when Moonrithyll thought of the princess she served, she understood immediately.
No wonder people said birds of a feather flock together. The Ranni before her was a true Princess of Caria in every sense.
"I understand." Moonrithyll nodded heavily, then turned to Nolan. "Then, this unnamed Lord... may I ask when you intend to marry Her Highness the Princess?"
"Well..." Nolan frowned slightly. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head gently, crossed his arms, and said slowly:
"I haven't decided yet. At the very least, I suppose it would have to wait until the Lands Between have been completely pacified."
His eyes were full of teasing, as if he were joking, yet there was also a hint of seriousness in them, as though he had already seen that land restored to peace.
Standing nearby, Moonrithyll could not help showing admiration as she sincerely praised him:
"Your ambition is the whole of the Lands Between? Truly impressive. No wonder the Princess has taken an interest in you."
As she spoke, she secretly gave Nolan a thumbs-up. This young man was far sharper than Messmer. The fact that he could understand the Princess's feelings alone already put him far above that Demigod.
Nolan smiled faintly and answered modestly, "You flatter me, Your Excellency Moonrithyll."
The two were chatting in perfect accord, but just then, a clear voice edged with irritation suddenly rang out:
"Are you two done yet!?"
With only a few simple words between a Lord and a knight, the Lunar Princess's humiliation arrived right on schedule.
Nolan and Moonrithyll, one understood Ranni, and the other understood Rellana.
Because of that deep understanding, they knew very well how to soothe the humiliated princesses of the Carian Royal Family.
And so, the small northern village they had originally planned to visit was completely forgotten.
Nolan led the group after Moonrithyll, heading straight for Castle Ensis without stopping.
Only when the guards opened the towering gates for the Numen did they realize that there was still such a peaceful, beautiful place in the Land of Shadow.
"This city belongs to Messmer's army. I am only holding it on his behalf. But Messmer is very tolerant of Numen, so please treat it as your own home."
Moonrithyll introduced the place to everyone with a smile.
Along both sides of the streets inside the city, rows of imposing Warriors in uniform black armor stood straight as tall pines.
These brave Warriors were lined up closely together, forming a grand avenue leading into a warm and welcoming world.
Beneath their feet was a floor made of pure white stone, each piece fitted seamlessly together with care, giving off a soft glow that warmed the heart.
As far as the eye could see, the scene before them was dreamlike, leaving every Numen present deeply entranced.
They felt as though they had stepped into the paradise of legend, forgetting all their pain and suffering.
Before this, tormented by agony until they had nearly gone mad, they had lived in a cruel world filled with savagery and violence. They had never seen such peace and calm.
The Numen were somewhat overwhelmed by the sight. Their eyes widened, their faces full of astonishment as they looked at everything before them.
To them, aside from the hazy impression left by once gazing at Tower Settlement from afar, such magnificent scenery had only existed in the descriptions given by Nolan and the others.
That merciful Lord had smiled and promised them that after leaving the Land of Shadow, they too would be able to live in a place as beautiful as this.
In sharp contrast, Nolan and the Demigods and goddesses beside him were very calm.
Compared with Stormveil and Elphael, this city was only a small fortress, far inferior in both prosperity and majesty.
While everyone was still immersed in their amazement at the city, Nolan was the first to break the silence.
He strode into Castle Ensis, and the first thing he said was not an expression of awe at the strength of its army. Instead, he questioned how Messmer's army was dealing with the Hornsent.
"Why not fight your way out instead of hiding here?"
Now, whenever he saw Hornsent, he simply killed them all.
That was why he could not understand it. Messmer's war had somehow stopped halfway, leaving those Hornsent alive on this land.
"Because of that mysterious and utterly troublesome Shadow's protection, of course. He has thought about it for so many years and still has not found a perfect solution."
Moonrithyll spread her hands helplessly. She sympathized with the Numen, but as leaders, they could not act on passion alone.
"Speaking of which, I had originally planned to go to Tower Settlement for a crucial reconnaissance mission. I never expected something like this to happen. It seems I'll have to rearrange the whole trip."
Moonrithyll frowned slightly, her tone carrying a trace of annoyance, though it sounded rather casual. After traveling together, she had found that she got along very well with this man.
"No need to trouble yourself. Everything has been cleaned up," Nolan replied lightly.
"What do you mean, cleaned up?" Moonrithyll asked in shock.
"Just as I said. Everything there. Not only the thorns, but those things called Hornsent as well. I was very careful when I killed them. There should not be any survivors left," Nolan said.
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