Blaidd was a decisive werewolf. The moment he obtained the Fingerslayer Blade, he left Nokron.
To make sure he would not lose his way and delay the journey, Nolan specifically sent a squad of knights to escort him. They would also carry a message for him when they passed through Stormveil Castle.
Several more days passed in the blink of an eye, and a mage unit from the Firelink Army arrived in Nokron.
"Master, can we handle the Dragonkin Soldiers?"
Nolan walked into the military tent in Nokron with a smile.
His gaze fell on the table, where a young Witch was lying over it, completely focused on the drafts spread out before her.
What was Nokron's greatest asset? Without question, it was its technology.
After all, these Nox people had originally brought destruction upon their nation precisely because of those strange inventions.
There were many people in the Lands Between who did research. Sellen even served as Nolan's technical officer. But the only ones who had pushed science far enough to provoke the wrath of the gods were these reckless Nox people.
"With the stockpiles the Firelink Army currently has, we should be able to manufacture ten Dragonkin Soldiers," Sellen said thoughtfully while biting her pen.
"If we have the towns in Limgrave and Caelid pool their resources as well, we could probably make another ten."
"But I think you should be paying more attention to the Fingerslayer Blade. That is technology capable of slaying gods, yet you don't seem to care about it at all."
"That thing can't be mass-produced, and the conditions for using it are strict. Most importantly, my knights and I have no use for it," Nolan said, spreading his hands.
The Fingerslayer Blade was proof of the Eternal City's treason, and also something Ranni had once longed for.
It was a blade made from a corpse, and only those connected to its fate could wield it.
It was said to possess a wondrous power capable of harming the Greater Will and the messengers who served Him.
According to the Night Priestesses, the last god wounded by this blade was the Mother of Fingers.
That man Ymir had gone mad in his desire to become the "Mother." He had actually used the blade to cut off Metyr's tail finger.
That could be considered the communication device Metyr used to contact the Greater Will.
Whether that act was right or wrong was not something Nolan cared about. Besides, he did not lack the power to kill gods. It was not as though he had never killed Fingers before.
Anyone visiting the ruins of the Divine Tower of Limgrave now might even catch the flavor of roasted Two Fingers on the sea breeze.
Nolan had no interest in the Fingerslayer Blade at all. His attention quickly returned to his own weapons of war.
"Actually, I think there's still a lot of room to improve the Dragonkin Soldiers," he said thoughtfully.
Hearing Nolan's words, Sellen narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at her student, then gave a faint nod. She was clearly very willing to hear his thoughts.
"Oh? If you have any good ideas, say them. I'll see whether they're feasible."
Nolan continued with great interest.
"The Dragonkin Soldiers' combat ability is excellent, but with bodies that large, having them just swing oversized weapons around is a bit of a waste."
"I was thinking, could we equip them with highly destructive weapons like Jar Cannons? Also, their fighting style is actually rather one-note..."
Whenever research came up, Sellen's eyes seemed to light up at once, shining brightly as uncontrollable excitement spread across her face.
As for Nolan, his mind was like an endless treasury of ideas. New thoughts kept pouring out, as if they would never run dry.
Master and student traded words back and forth, growing more excited the longer they spoke. Sometimes they argued briefly over a point of disagreement, and sometimes they would let out sinister chuckles at the exact same time.
This made Asimi, who had been quietly resting inside Nolan's body, tremble uncontrollably.
Her master and his teacher were both terrifying.
And so, for the next few days, Asimi lived in constant fear.
That was because Nolan and Sellen kept discussing murder right next to her ears, starting from simple methods of killing and gradually moving on to how to kill more efficiently.
Soon, the initial modification plan for the Dragonkin Soldiers was complete. It included adding heavy armor, flamethrowers, Jar Cannons, and other heavy weapons to their original frames.
Of course, these were only additions. After all, the Firelink Army already had Trolls and Golems capable of using heavy firepower, so this was not the focus of the modifications.
What mattered was making full use of the Dragonkin Soldiers' ability in close combat. They added a plan to attach Ashes of War that enhanced their attacks and defenses.
For example, Thops's Barrier, Scholar's Shield, Magic Weapon, and so on.
Ordinary weapons were easy enough. With resources and blacksmiths, they could be forged. Ashes of War, however, were extremely precious strategic resources and much harder to obtain.
Fortunately, Nolan had deep pockets. If he gritted his teeth, he could still scrape together enough to meet the needs of an entire Dragonkin Soldier legion.
Sellen did not concern herself with those details. She was only responsible for the technical side, at most drawing a few diagrams to make things easier for him to understand.
"Seluvis was annoying while he was alive, but the things he left behind after dying are very useful."
Sellen spoke with feeling as she drank her tea, comfortably exhaling a breath of warm steam.
Sure enough, a dead Seluvis was the best Seluvis.
Seluvis's technology had been a great help to Sellen's research.
The dolls she used to change bodies had been completed through her study of Seluvis's technology.
Now that she was modifying weapons of war, Seluvis's technology had come in handy again.
"True. His soul helped quite a bit back then too." Nolan took the teacup from Sellen and had a sip as well, thinking fondly of that old acquaintance.
If they had not killed Seluvis early, the situation back then, along with the first battle against Godrick, would have been far more difficult. It might even have led to the later rescue of Trina failing.
"Speaking of which, how much longer are you planning to stay here?" Sellen suddenly asked.
"I'm not sure yet. Once I deal with the hidden dangers, I'll go back." Nolan shrugged.
"If you stay away too long, aren't you afraid the Two Fingers will steal our home?" Sellen asked again.
"With Caria in front and me here, both ends are blocked. What's there to fear?" Nolan replied.
Sellen was acting a little strange today.
"Is that why you sent Messmer to Caria? To remove any worries from behind?" Sellen nodded thoughtfully.
"That's not the only reason. First, Ranni really is short on people. And he can also accompany Rellana back to her family while he's there." Nolan smiled.
"You really do think of Rellana as your daughter-in-law?"
"They clearly have feelings for each other. Isn't it only a matter of time?"
"Rellana may feel that way, but Messmer might not have that intention."
"Please. When Lusat's staff lit up, that brat ran faster than anyone, held her tighter than anyone, and raised his war spear higher than he ever had before."
As Nolan spoke, he slowly walked to the door. But instead of stepping straight out as expected, he stopped in front of it for a moment.
Then, unexpectedly, he reached out and gently closed the tent flap, as if that door were a barrier separating him from the outside world.
"Why haven't you left yet?" Sellen froze.
"I don't know when I'll return to Stormveil, but I do know Master doesn't want me to leave," Nolan said with a smile as he walked back.
"What if I said I wasn't thinking that?" Sellen crossed her arms and lifted her head.
Nolan did not seem surprised by Sellen's answer. The smile at the corner of his mouth remained.
"Is that so? Then I guessed wrong. I'll leave now."
He spoke softly, then pretended to turn and go.
But the instant Nolan turned, he suddenly felt his hand being held tightly.
Before he could look back, he heard a faint breath beside his ear.
That breath carried a trace of warmth, as if it could pass through his skin and reach deep into his blood.
"I wasn't thinking it just now," Sellen's voice sounded beside Nolan's ear. Her chin rested lightly on his shoulder, and her red lips slowly drew closer to his ear.
Nolan heard a strange tone, words spoken by Sellen in a particularly deliberate way.
"Now I am."