Chapter 150: Vivi’s Growth, and the Reason They Chose to Follow

After Vivi and her squad finished cleaning up the battlefield, they truly did make a tidy profit off the noble soldiers.

“Captain Vivi, these aristocratic troops are loaded!” The young hunter Peter held up a brass-rimmed monocular spyglass, his face flushed bright red with excitement.

Because of the precision craftsmanship required to make one, the blacksmith shops in Coldsteel City priced such items at no less than three gold coins—and even then, they were rare goods that could hardly be bought at all.

The others had also gained plenty. Though light cavalry did not wear heavy armor, the quality of their equipment was anything but poor. Standard military longswords, sharp and durable daggers, even silver flasks filled with strong liquor. To the people they once were, such items had been luxuries beyond reach.

“Split it among yourselves. I don’t need to look through it.”

Seated atop her horse, Vivi lowered her head as she wiped down the beloved crossbow Nolan had given her and tightened its bowstring again.

“Huh?”

The other four men, who had been busily stuffing all sorts of miscellaneous loot into large bags, froze in disbelief.

“Captain… this…”

According to military custom, the commanding officer always claimed the largest share of the spoils first. And in this skirmish, Vivi had practically secured victory single-handedly. Out of the eight enemies, she had personally killed five. Counting the one who escaped, the remaining four members had together managed only two kills. On top of that, she had been the first to detect the enemy’s movements and the one who devised the battle plan. Even if she took ninety percent of the loot, nobody would have objected.

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about me,” Vivi said casually. “You all lack equipment, and Lord Nolan has already committed all available production capacity toward preparing the black armor. It’ll be difficult to fully equip the rest of the army anytime soon. Keep the gear for yourselves.”

Her tone was light, but her words stirred waves in the hearts of the others.

Most of Coldsteel City’s fighters had either been impoverished freelance mercenaries or rookies starting from nothing. They had never handled equipment this good before.

As for the spoils from the Haus private army? Those always had to be handed over to the Haus family. Even a close-knit mercenary group like the Fire Foxes treated most battlefield profits as communal property.

The equipment taken from these noble soldiers might not have been enchanted masterpieces, but it was undoubtedly high-quality gear.

The men exchanged glances.

Such incredible fortune had really fallen into their hands?

Their joy quickly transformed into even deeper admiration and loyalty toward Vivi. Even packing up the loot suddenly felt more energetic.

This half-beast girl was still young, yet she had already become captain of the scout company. Not only was her strength frightening, but her character was just as impeccable. If anyone dared speak about “inferior races” in front of them again, they would be the first to shove that person’s head straight into the Somme River.

Vivi could feel those burning gazes on her, but she said nothing, merely smiling faintly.

It was not that she had suddenly become some noble and selfless saint. She was still the same Nightingale Vivi as before. It was simply that after staying beside Nolan for so long, her perspective had changed. Whenever Nolan made a move, it was either some ancient masterpiece or a treasure from another plane. After seeing those kinds of supreme items, these things she once would have fought over penny by penny no longer impressed her very much.

On the ride back to the city, the atmosphere within the squad grew noticeably livelier.

Reed, the former Haus private soldier, repeatedly ran his fingers over the newly captured hand crossbow in his hands. The pristine mechanism and durable bowstring made it impossible for him to put down.

As he looked at Vivi’s heroic figure riding ahead of them, he suddenly felt as though his old life had been a complete waste. It all seemed like another lifetime. Back when he served under Haus, there were occasional rewards, but most days were spent bowing his head and acting like a dog. Even receiving his pitiful wages on time depended on whether the squad captain happened to be in a good mood. Over time, even his dignity had nearly been ground away.

When he first surrendered to Nolan, he had assumed his life would simply rot away in Coldsteel City forever. Fortunately, he had been lucky enough to be selected for the Black Armored Legion because of his abilities. Lord Nolan had not lied—people with integrity and talent truly would be accepted again.

Ever since joining the legion, despite the brutal training under the terrifyingly strict veteran Hank, where every day felt like being skinned alive, Reed had never once felt so equal or fulfilled. There were no arrogant noble officers here, no capricious lords who treated lives like dirt.

His heart, long numb and lifeless, had actually begun to feel a little anticipation for tomorrow.

“Captain,” Reed finally asked, unable to suppress the question weighing on his mind, “earlier… when those men offered five gold coins for surrender, why weren’t you tempted?”

Vivi did not turn around. Her voice drifted back with the wind. “So after serving under Haus, surrender is the only thing you learned?”

Reed’s face instantly reddened, and he gave an awkward laugh. “But that was five gold coins… more than an entire year of wages back when I was a private soldier…”

“What a pathetic ambition.” Locke, the former freelance mercenary riding beside him, snorted disdainfully. “Five gold coins were enough to tempt you? I’ve traveled all across the southern regions, and I’ve never once met a lord as generous and approachable as Lord Nolan! So long as you have ability, he dares to use you—and he gives you the respect and rewards you deserve! A man like that? I, Locke, would gladly stake my life for him!”

“Exactly!” Peter shouted in agreement. “Lord Nolan is ten thousand times better than that dead bastard Haus!” His emotions visibly rose as he spoke. “Back then, my mother was so sick she was practically dying. I saw the notices from the lord’s manor saying that citizens in trouble could seek help. I only went because I figured I might as well try. But not only did Lord Nolan let my mother stay in the manor to recover, he even had Lord Kayan personally cast a healing holy invocation for her! My mother wanted to give him the only beef and eggs our family had left, but he refused to accept them. Instead, he gave us money and told her to focus on recovering properly.” By this point, Peter’s eyes had reddened. He hastily wiped them with his sleeve. “From that moment on, I decided I would follow Lord Nolan for the rest of my life.”

Among the squad, only Conrad from the Fire Fox Mercenary Corps remained silent. With his arms folded, he wore the smug expression of someone who knew far more than the rest.

What a joke.

He was one of the veterans who had followed Nolan all the way into Coldsteel City. He had personally witnessed everything. Back when Nolan carved the Seven Noble Precepts onto Haus’s back, Conrad had been standing guard right outside the door! How could these new recruits possibly imagine how terrifyingly impressive Lord Nolan truly was? Following Sister Rehanna aboard Nolan’s ship had easily been the wisest decision of his entire life.

Listening to her subordinates speak, Vivi herself could not help smiling. “What Nolan wants is to change this kingdom. He wants everyone to live with dignity.” She took a deep breath. “You asked why I wasn’t tempted earlier? I love money. But what I truly want… they can’t give me. No one can, except Nolan.”

Reed was deeply moved by her words, and his curiosity only grew stronger. “Captain, I heard you used to work around Veli City. With skills like yours, what kind of price did Lord Nolan offer to recruit you?”

Almost unconsciously, Vivi reached out and gently touched the outside of her tight leather trousers. Inside a hidden pocket there rested the “salary” Nolan had once given her. A nostalgic smile spread across her face, carrying traces of mischief and warmth.

“Five silver coins.”

“Wh-what?”

“Five… silver coins?” 

Peter nearly fell off his horse, while Locke and Reed stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

“So Lord Nolan can actually be stingy sometimes?”

The squad burst into teasing laughter.

Vivi let them laugh all they wanted, but the smile on her own face only softened further. “And a promise… A promise that I could live freely beneath the sunlight.”

The laughter stopped abruptly.

The men stared at Vivi’s profile, at those furry tiger ears trembling faintly in the wind, and suddenly felt they shone more brilliantly than any jewel they had ever seen.

By the time they returned to Coldsteel City, dusk had already fallen.

Without wasting a moment, Vivi brought her squad directly to the lord’s manor. Inside the conference hall, Nolan, Hank, Kayan, and several others were gathered around a sand-table map discussing strategy, while Anna listened quietly nearby.

“My lord.” Vivi placed one hand over her chest in a crisp military salute. “Scout Division First Squad has completed its patrol mission. We made contact with enemy scouts from the Demont allied forces on the eastern bank of the Somme River.”

She briefly summarized the encounter, including the enemy’s numbers, equipment, and her deliberate decision to let one survivor escape.

Nolan listened quietly before nodding. “A living coward creates more panic than eight corpses. Well done, Vivi.”

Receiving Nolan’s praise made sweetness bloom inside her chest, though her expression outwardly remained calm and professional. 

“My lord, judging by their attire, they should have been retainers under Archduke Demont.” Standing nearby, Conrad added, “Blue robes. Hunting hound insignia…”

“Sir Pascal,” Nolan said before he could finish. “As expected, it’s him.”

Conrad looked startled.

As a local and former Fire Fox mercenary who had dealt with Pascal’s men before, he recognized the insignia.

The kingdom had countless nobles and knights, every family possessing different banners and crests with little consistency between them. Even scholars specializing in heraldry often struggled to identify unfamiliar emblems at a glance.

Yet Nolan, an outsider to the region, had instantly identified the correct answer.

Terrifying.

At the mention of Pascal’s name, a complicated expression appeared on Hank’s weathered face. The cigar clenched between his teeth remained unmoving for a long moment.

“That bastard…” he muttered quietly. “Is he still clinging to his oath?”