Faced with this scene, Nolan felt no surprise at all.
The city beneath his feet could not compare to super-fortresses like Leyndell or Stormveil, but the soldiers and civilians behind him were holding their ground with impressive resolve.
"Looks like the Caria Manor forces really were underestimated."
Nolan stood firmly on the city wall, staff raised high, murmuring to himself.
Two months of smoke-choked fighting had passed, and he had gained a great deal of hard-earned experience.
A siege like this was a war of attrition. He had shamelessly blended in among Lazuli's apprentices, taking advantage of the chaos to hide behind the walls and harvest a few kills with his magic.
"Too bad those Preceptors are such cowards. If they hadn't holed up in the academy and refused to come out, how could this small city have held for so long? A few high-tier sorceries would've smashed these walls to pieces."
The outcome was still undecided, but with Caria Manor trapped here and unable to break free, the remaining question was merely how much time it would take.
This was Nolan's first time experiencing a real war. He looked at the soldiers around him, lightly pinching his chin as he fell into thought.
The conflict between Caria and the Magic Academy had already dragged on for two months. Leyndell was now engulfed in intense fighting, yet Morgott still had not appeared.
Leyndell was, after all, the Royal Capital. It housed countless knights and heroes. Even if Godrick was as incompetent as they said, he could still hold out for a while.
The chaotic melee among the four lords was close to tearing everything apart, but despite its sheer scale, the war was still far from over.
The kings and nobles were alive and well, while ordinary people were crushed without mercy, lives falling away like blades of grass.
As for the people of the Lands Between hoping for a new king to rise and bring peace to the world, that was nothing more than wishful thinking.
If the demigods could truly settle things among themselves, there would be no need to wait for the Tarnished to return.
Yet in this lifetime, with his own existence altering the flow of events, Miquella had originally chosen Radahn as the Promised Consort. Now that the target had changed, it was impossible to know what kind of impact this would have on the Lands Between.
"Will the world keep sliding into decline? Will an even more chaotic age come after this?"
Nolan slowly raised his head and stared at the towering Erdtree, his fist tightening unconsciously.
To sacrifice everything for a beautiful world… but if everything is gone, what beauty is left?
That woman only cared about herself, doing whatever pleased her and never listening to anyone else. Just thinking about it made his blood boil.
"Hm? Apprentice, why are you still here?"
A hand waved in front of Nolan's eyes, yanking him out of his thoughts.
He looked up to see Sellen standing beside him, a faint smile on her face.
"Master, I was just thinking about something," Nolan said quickly.
"About what?" Sellen asked with interest.
"The future," Nolan replied softly.
"What's there to think about when it comes to the future? You'd be better off using that time to figure out how to further improve Thops's Barrier, or how to kill the Starscourge General."
Sellen said it lightly, as if she were talking about something utterly insignificant.
Nolan tilted his head and glanced around. The Caria Manor soldiers nearby seemed to have heard nothing at all and continued with their work as usual.
The fate of the Carian royal family was tightly bound to the stars.
The Starscourge General had sealed the starry sky, and in doing so, had sealed the fate of the Carian royal family as well. Even Ranni's destiny was bound alongside it.
But Ranni did not yet realize this. No matter how desperately she sought freedom, every path she chose only led her back to the same place.
"So, what conclusion did you come to?"
Sellen seemed completely unaware of how dangerous the topic she had raised was. She casually propped her head on one hand while watching several soldiers carry over a pile of supplies.
Thick ballista bolts were stacked neatly on the ground, along with various foodstuffs and potions meant to replenish the sorcerers' dwindling reserves.
"Nothing much," Nolan said with a shrug. "Standing here worrying won't change anything. If we want results, we have to act."
After spending some time in this world, he felt he had grown a bit stubborn. Maybe it would be better to think less about pointless things from now on.
"What do you plan to do?" Sellen tilted her head slightly. It was rare to see a look of true helplessness on Nolan's face.
"First, I'll make myself stronger, and then…"
Nolan leaned close to Sellen's ear. She wasn't wearing her hood, and her hair brushed lightly against his cheek, making it itch. He spoke slowly, word by word:
"Defeat Radahn."
"Easy to say. Not so easy to do."
Sellen rolled her eyes. This time, she didn't scold her student for indulging in fantasies. Instead, as if a new thought had occurred to her, she lowered her voice.
"But you can bring your teacher along. Studying those two masters' notes isn't getting us anywhere, and I don't plan to just sit around waiting. When the time comes, we'll let the Starscourge see what we're capable of."
Crazy enough, but I like it.
Nolan laughed. He had thought about this for a long time and realized that Radahn was an obstacle he could never avoid. Not just for his teacher's sake, but also because Radahn stood as a massive barrier on his own path to becoming a Lord.
Of course, for now, these were nothing more than thoughts.
Marching up to Radahn and saying, "I'm here to kill you"? Chances were he wouldn't even finish the sentence before his head was sent flying into the stars.
Nolan was bold, not stupid.
"By the way, aren't you supposed to be busy researching sorceries, Teacher? Why are you here?"
"I couldn't get anywhere with my research, so I came out to clear my head. Also, I'm hungry." Sellen pinched her chin and spoke with a perfectly serious expression.
Just as master and apprentice were debating whether to have crayfish or crab for dinner, a crisp scraping sound of iron boots echoed through the streets of the royal domain.
Curious, Nolan followed the sound and saw a blue-and-white figure slowly approaching along the wall.
The figure was tall and slender, clad in silver knightly armor. Deep blue fabric edged with gold wrapped tightly around the body, while the shoulder cape and waist sash were adorned with dazzling gold chains and gemstones.
The Carian Knight armor was exceptionally ornate. If those greedy Cuckoos ever caught sight of it, they'd probably drool on the spot and wouldn't stop until they stripped him clean.
"Knight Raziel!"
Seeing the knight heading straight toward him, Nolan called out his name. The surrounding soldiers immediately offered respectful salutes.
This knight was one of the few remaining Carian Knights, a defender of the royal domain and a hero in service to the royal family. His status was naturally far above that of ordinary soldiers.
"Knight Nolan, we'll be carrying out a raid tonight. I intend to personally lead the team," Raziel said with a warm, approachable smile.
"However, relying on myself alone isn't entirely safe. Would you be willing to come with me?"
For a garrison commander to personally lead a night raid showed just how few capable hands Caria had left. Still, it also meant the chances of survival and success were extremely high.
"Of course," Nolan agreed without hesitation. He had been waiting for a chance to get back onto the battlefield. There was no way he would miss this.
"I'll come after I finish cooking for my teacher."