Chapter 134: The Steward of Coldsteel City

Nolan had changed into an entirely new set of equipment, and it was obvious at a glance that this expedition had yielded tremendous rewards. Anna knew him well. Though Nolan was never picky, anything that caught his eye was either exceptionally rare or of the highest quality.

The new gear made him look even taller and more striking than before. Anna could not help glancing at him several extra times, genuine admiration filling her heart.

The lord truly was handsome the longer one looked at him.

“Sister Anna!” Vivi leapt down from her horse and immediately threw her arms around her.

Along the journey, she had been too busy giving Nolan the cold shoulder to think about anything else. Now that she had finally seen her closest friend again, the relief hit her all at once.

“You’ve all worked hard too.”

Anna’s gaze softened as she looked over the others. Little Donnie and Renee greeted her with smiles as well, while Nolan still could not figure out what exactly had upset Vivi.

As he stood there puzzled, Anna had already begun directing the newly hired servants of the manor. “Take the lord’s horses and the others’ mounts to the stables. Feed them the best fodder.”

“Yes, Lady Steward!”

The servants answered respectfully and hurried forward with practiced efficiency.

Nolan swung down from his horse and handed the reins to a young servant with a nod. “Thanks for your hard work.”

The servant looked overwhelmed by the courtesy. “N-not at all! It’s an honor to serve you, my lord!”

Little Donnie and Renee dismounted as well, passing their horses over to the servants one after another.

When it came to Ailindel, however, a young maid who looked no older than fifteen or sixteen froze in place, blushing furiously and fumbling with her hands.

She wanted to step forward and take the reins, but Ailindel’s radiant white armor and impossibly perfect face carried an almost sacred aura that kept strangers at bay. The girl was so nervous she no longer knew what to do with herself.

“I… I…”

Unable to approach, she stood there stammering helplessly.

Ailindel noticed her discomfort immediately and gently shook her head. “There’s no need.”

She raised a hand and lightly patted the warhorse beneath her.

The magnificent steed gave a soft, affectionate whinny. Then its body dissolved into countless silver motes of light, scattering into the air like mist blown away by the wind before vanishing completely.

“Ah!”

Gasps rose from the surrounding servants and guards alike. Everyone stared in stunned disbelief.

What kind of magic was that?

Even Anna, who had seen much in her life, showed a flicker of surprise in her eyes. Still, she quickly composed herself and stepped forward gracefully. Her gaze shifted toward Nolan as she calmly said, “At least you didn’t spend too long sightseeing outside.”

Nolan immediately looked embarrassed. “How is that sightseeing? We were risking our lives for the future of the territory.”

“Oh?” Anna arched a brow slightly. “So you’re finally telling the truth? Who was it that told me he was only going into the forest to handle a small matter with no danger involved?” She sighed, clearly long accustomed to this behavior, and continued lecturing him patiently, “You’re always like this, my lord. You’re our leader now. You can’t keep throwing yourself into danger personally. Were you injured anywhere? I’ll call Mr. Kayan over at once…”

Instinctively, Nolan covered the wound in his shoulder, which still throbbed faintly. Little Donnie had treated it roughly on the road, but the soreness had not faded.

“Kayan’s probably busy already. Don’t trouble him over this.” Nolan waved his hands quickly, trying to brush it aside. “I know my limits. It really wasn’t dangerous, it just looked scary. If you don’t believe me, ask Vivi!”

As he spoke, he desperately shot Vivi a pleading look.

Anna’s gaze immediately turned toward her.

Vivi was still a little sulky. Her feelings for Nolan had always been one-sided, and even she did not fully understand why she was upset. Was it because this blockhead could never understand a girl’s feelings? Or because another beautiful elf had suddenly appeared beside him?

Yet when she saw Nolan looking at her for help, the image of him taking that spear through his shoulder to save her resurfaced in her mind once more.

The sheer decisiveness of it, the complete lack of hesitation, softened her heart instantly.

Forget it.

She knew Nolan was only trying to avoid another lecture from Anna and wanted her help covering things up. Among everyone present, she was the closest to Anna, practically like sisters.

The words that would have exposed him reached her lips, then quietly disappeared.

“Y-yeah… that’s right!” Vivi’s eyes darted away guiltily, unable to meet Anna’s gaze. “It looked pretty dangerous, but Nolan’s actually really capable. So everything turned out fine in the end…”

Even she felt unconvincing saying it.

The perceptive Ailindel needed only one glance at the expressions of the three of them to understand immediately that Nolan and Vivi were putting on a little act together.

As one of the “culprits” responsible for Nolan’s injury, she felt a faint blush rise to her face. Wanting to help ease the situation, she stepped in herself. “Nolan is an exceptional warrior and leader. You should have more faith in him.”

Only then did Anna’s attention leave Nolan and Vivi and settle fully upon the elf woman speaking in his defense. Looking at Ailindel’s pointed ears and recalling the miraculous display from moments earlier, she asked, “Oh? And this lady is…?”

Nolan slapped his forehead. “Right, I completely forgot. Ailin, this is Anna Corot, the chief steward of our territory. She handles everything here, big or small. Anna, this is Ailindel Morningsong, a powerful knight who has now joined Coldsteel City and become one of us.”

“Welcome, Lady Ailindel.” Anna gave her a graceful bow. “To choose to join us at a time like this, when Coldsteel City needs strength the most… we are truly grateful.”

Ailindel already held a favorable impression of this composed and elegant woman. She inclined her head in return. “It was Nolan who saved me. I should be the one giving thanks.”

Seeing the two of them on the verge of turning the conversation into a full lesson in court etiquette, Nolan hurriedly cut in, “All right, all right. We’re all on the same side now, so there’s no need to be this formal.” He rubbed his forehead tiredly. “I’m really exhausted. I need some rest.”

Now that the lord himself had spoken, no one argued further.

Renee and Little Donnie each headed off to rest and process everything they had gained from this adventure.

Vivi stretched lazily like a cat, greeted everyone briefly, then wandered back to her room in the manor on her own.

Anna turned toward Ailindel and gestured politely with a poised smile. “Lady Ailindel, your room has already been prepared. Please follow me.”

Ailindel’s heart stirred slightly.

From the moment the city guards reported their return until now, this steward had already arranged everything for her in such a short amount of time. That level of efficiency and thoughtfulness only deepened her curiosity about Nolan’s group.

Outstanding people truly did attract one another.

With everyone gone in an instant, Nolan found himself abandoned alone in the courtyard instead.

Scratching his head helplessly, he muttered with a laugh, “Seriously? Suddenly nobody cares about me anymore.”

Then he turned and headed back to his own room.

To be fair, Nolan’s exhaustion was not merely an excuse to escape the conversation.

His battles against the golem and Ailindel had both left him injured, but more importantly, when confronting the Demon Overlord Qroshu, his consciousness had been trapped within that bizarre world for a full three years. Though the passage of time had only been subjective, the exhaustion etched into his spirit was entirely real, pressing heavily upon his soul.

The moment he returned to his room, a thought crossed his mind, and the Immovable Bulwark emitted a series of delicate mechanical clicks before automatically separating itself piece by piece and standing silently in the corner.

Nolan let out an enormous yawn and collapsed face-first onto the soft bed.

The instant his face sank into the pillow, consciousness swallowed him whole.

He slept from afternoon all the way until dawn the next morning.

The sky was only beginning to brighten when orderly shouts drifted faintly in through the window. Hank was probably leading the Black Armored Legion through morning drills again.

Nolan sat up groggily in bed, still half asleep.

Then he noticed in surprise that the bandages on his right shoulder had already been changed at some point. The wound no longer bled, and a faint herbal fragrance lingered around it.

At the same time, the scent of warm food drifted softly from somewhere nearby.

He turned his head, only to jump in shock.

Anna was sitting quietly beside his bed, watching him with an unreadable smile.