Chapter 132: Farewell, Toward the Next Step

Every eye shifted at once from the legendary Heavenly Judgment Knight to Nolan.

Nolan himself was stunned. He had already run through a hundred different plans in his head for how to keep this future top-tier powerhouse by his side, how to establish a long-term partnership with her, how to—

And before he had even said a word, she had practically delivered herself to him on a silver platter.

The sheer fortune of it left him dizzy. Happiness had arrived too suddenly, and for a moment he did not even know how to respond.

“To be honest,” Nolan finally managed, forcing out a helpless smile as he decided to lay everything out plainly first, “I’m only a minor lord on the border of the Elfin Kingdom. My territory is still in the very early stages of development.”

It was not that he did not want her. He absolutely did. What worried him was that Ailindel might have misunderstood his status and influence, only to be disappointed once she saw the reality and decide to leave afterward. That would hit him far harder than simply being upfront from the beginning.

“I am not interested in your status or position,” Ailindel replied, shaking her head. Her voice was clear and unwavering, as though she could see straight through the concerns hidden in Nolan’s heart. “To me, worldly authority and wealth are nothing more than passing clouds. What I value are heroic deeds capable of creating miracles, and the noble character required to support such deeds.”

Her eyes rested on him steadily.

“And you fit my standards very well.”

Nolan’s heart skipped a beat.

Good grief. The way she phrased that sounded suspiciously close to choosing a spouse…

Before he could let his imagination wander any further, Ailindel calmly dropped another bombshell. “And besides… you freed me from eternal shackles. I owe you a debt. Because your ‘Second Naming’ restored my sense of self, and because I exist as an eternal war spirit, a soul connection has already formed between us. It cannot be severed.”

A soul connection?

Nolan froze completely. He had never heard of this before.

Vivi’s tiger ears twitched sharply. She stared at Ailindel, then glanced sideways at Nolan, her lips unconsciously puffing out a little.

Renee and Little Donnie, meanwhile, looked purely delighted, their eyes practically glowing. As expected of the lord. He always managed to accomplish things beyond ordinary understanding.

At that point, Nolan no longer had any reason to refuse. Not that he had ever intended to.

“In that case, welcome, Lady Ailindel. Allow me to show you the glory that belongs to us,” Nolan said solemnly as he extended his hand.

Ailindel smiled and placed her hand atop his in the traditional Moon Elf greeting. “Call me Ailin, Lord Nolan.”

With that unexpected turn of events settled, their journey had finally come to an end, and it was time to part ways.

Nolan turned toward Romina, his expression growing serious. “Captain Romina, as I mentioned before, my territory is facing an unjust war. Our enemies are advancing with the intention of wiping us out completely. I must return immediately and take command.” After a brief pause, he removed his helmet and offered it to her with both hands. “In the name of our alliance, regarding the Foundation of Life, once the crisis in my territory is resolved, I will return and do everything in my power to help you.”

Every Wood Elf present straightened instinctively.

Among the elves, offering one’s helmet to another was a vow sworn upon honor and life itself, a promise that absolutely could not be broken. It was the highest form of oath in elven culture. None of them had expected this human lord to understand their customs so well, much less use such an ancient and sacred gesture to express his sincerity.

Finley looked at Nolan with complicated eyes. At that moment, the final trace of prejudice he held toward this human completely disappeared.

Romina, however, simply gazed quietly into Nolan’s earnest eyes. Then she reached out and gently pushed the heavy helmet back toward him. “I believe you.” As she spoke, she tucked a strand of windblown hair behind her ear and smiled softly. “I’ll wait for you.”

Those simple words stirred something deep inside Nolan. He put the helmet back on and nodded firmly. “I won’t keep you waiting long.”

With the Wood Elves escorting them, the return journey became remarkably smooth and swift.

The children of the forest moved effortlessly through the woods as though walking on level ground. Nolan’s group only needed to follow behind them to avoid every difficult path and hidden danger along the way.

Before long, they arrived at the small clearing near the forest edge where Little Donnie had tied up the horses earlier.

The three warhorses were lazily swishing their tails and grazing on fresh grass. When they saw their owners return, they greeted them with affectionate snorts.

“Heh, you lot sure had it easy,” Little Donnie laughed as he walked over and patted each horse on the neck.

He had spent the entire trip worrying that some monster in the forest might have snatched away his precious horses, so seeing them safe and sound finally lifted a weight from his chest.

“Nolan,” Romina called out just as Nolan was about to mount his horse.

From the pouch at her waist, she withdrew a small horn crafted from some unknown beast’s horn and handed it to him.

“The next time you come, sound this outside the forest. The forest itself will carry word of your arrival to me.” She paused, emerald eyes reflecting Nolan’s figure as her voice softened. “May the forest protect you. May fortune favor your battles.”

Nolan accepted the horn, its surface warm and smooth to the touch. He had just opened his mouth to thank her when Romina suddenly stepped closer.

Her soft lips brushed lightly against his forehead.

The touch was fleeting, like a dragonfly skimming across water.

Because Nolan was taller, she had risen slightly onto her toes, her hands resting against his shoulders.

Nolan froze where he stood. Warmth lingered on his forehead, while the faint scent of leaves and forest greenery drifted around him.

“Miss Romina! What was that?!” Vivi reacted like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on. She pointed accusingly at Romina, sputtering so hard she could barely form words.

Romina turned around with an innocent expression and blinked those pure emerald eyes. “What’s wrong?” Tilting her head slightly, she added, “Isn’t this a perfectly normal farewell gesture?”

“What kind of farewell gesture is that?!” Vivi spun desperately toward Ailindel for support. “Lady Knight, is that true? Is that really some kind of elven custom?”

Ailindel glanced at Vivi, then at Romina, whose expression remained perfectly composed, before finally looking toward Nolan, who still seemed slightly dazed. “I cannot say for certain,” she answered in her usual meticulous tone. “I have slept for ten thousand years. However, elves have always valued etiquette and ceremony. It would not be strange for newer customs to have developed over time.”

Vivi was rendered completely speechless. In the end, she could only huff angrily and turn her face away, refusing to look at the “innocent-faced” Wood Elf any longer.

Even Nolan, who was normally calm and composed in every situation, found himself at a loss for words. He touched his forehead, lowered his hand again, and finally managed a stiff response. “Then… we’ll part ways for now.”

“Mm.” Romina nodded gracefully.

She stepped back two paces, then turned and lightly pushed off against a tree trunk. Her agile figure leapt effortlessly onto a thick branch overhead.

After giving everyone one final wave, she and the Wood Elf rangers vanished soundlessly into the dense sea of trees.

Only Vivi remained standing there, muttering under her breath toward the forest in a voice so quiet that only she could hear it, “Vixen.”