Chapter 202: Arriving as Promised

The Borderlands.

This vast forest stretching between the northern reaches of the kingdom and the unknown western lands marked the end of human civilization and the beginning of nature’s dominion.

When Nolan and his group arrived at the forest’s edge, the warriors seeing the Borderlands up close for the first time were all struck speechless by the sight before them.

Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky, their immense canopies layered upon one another until sunlight was reduced to scattered fragments filtering through the leaves. The air carried the damp scent of earth mixed with the fragrance of unfamiliar flowers and plants.

Everything here felt primal and overflowing with life, utterly different from the orderly cities and cultivated fields of the human world.

Nolan’s party reined in their horses and stopped before the colossal green expanse.

“This is the place.”

Swinging down from his mount, Nolan removed an ancient-looking horn from the saddle. It was crafted from the bone of some unknown beast, its surface carved with strange patterns. It was the very horn Romina had given him.

The others halted behind him. Kayan and the fifty members of the Inquisition of the Cross’ Holy Hammer Division were visibly tense upon entering such a place for the first time. Even the warhorses seemed to sense the ancient pressure emanating from the forest, snorting uneasily and pawing at the ground. The soldiers tightened their grips around the handles of their warhammers, their eyes vigilantly scanning the dim depths between the trees.

Most of them were locals who had grown up being warned never to approach this man-eating forest. According to rumor, the Wood Elves were aloof and xenophobic, hostile toward all outsiders. To these fervent followers of the Mother Goddess, these foreign beings who worshipped the power of nature were equally deserving of caution.

“Relax,” Nolan said, glancing back at them. “We’re here to save people, not wage war.”

With that, he raised the horn to his lips and blew into it.

Woooo—

The sound was neither loud nor imposing, almost low and subdued, yet it possessed astonishing penetration. It seemed almost alive as it traveled through the endless sea of trees, blending with the rustling of leaves in the wind as it echoed deep into the forest.

Nolan lowered the horn and waited silently.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Five minutes passed.

Other than the whispering leaves and the occasional cry of an unfamiliar bird, the forest remained still.

“Nolan… are you sure this works?” Vivi whispered as she edged closer to him, her ears twitching alertly. “Can they really hear it? Or maybe they just don’t want to come?”

Before she could continue, an almost imperceptible click sounded from a giant tree not far ahead.

The noise was so faint it resembled a fallen leaf brushing against a branch. Had it not been for Vivi’s keen Nightingale hearing, no ordinary person could have noticed it.

“Someone’s here,” she muttered, instinctively drawing a dagger.

The Holy Hammer Division instantly entered a defensive stance. Their gold-and-crimson armor clinked sharply as hands moved to the grips of their warhammers.

“Don’t move.”

Nolan raised a hand, signaling everyone to stay calm.

Composed as ever, he straightened his collar and walked forward alone.

“Children of the forest, Nolan, Lord of Coldsteel, has arrived as promised!”

His voice echoed through the woods.

The moment his words fell, the shadow clinging to the trunk of the giant tree suddenly rippled like water. Then, as if materializing from thin air, a figure cloaked in green and armed with a longbow emerged.

One.

Two.

Three…

As though some signal had been given, shadowy figures began appearing among the surrounding treetops. More and more silhouettes revealed themselves between the branches and leaves.

They seemed like part of the forest itself. Had they not chosen to reveal themselves, even Nolan would have struggled to detect their presence.

An invisible pressure descended upon the clearing.

The warriors of the Holy Hammer Division felt their breathing grow heavy. Never before had they witnessed such uncanny concealment techniques, nor had they ever been simultaneously targeted from above by so many archers on all sides.

The elves did not respond immediately. Several figures leapt gracefully from the towering trees, landing as silently as drifting leaves. At the front was a woman with dark green hair cascading like a waterfall down her back. She wore fitted ranger leathers that accentuated her agile yet graceful figure.

And slung across her back was that unmistakable giant bow.

Romina Greenshadow.

She stared at Nolan without blinking, her eyes filled with excitement, joy, and a trace of indescribably complicated emotion. Under the astonished gazes of Nolan’s companions—especially Vivi and Rehanna—the usually cold and aloof Wood Elf captain strode directly toward Nolan.

Then she opened her arms and embraced him tightly. The hard breastplate of the Immovable Bulwark pressed firmly against her soft body, the contrast strikingly vivid.

“I knew you would keep your promise.” Burying her face against the crook of his neck, Romina murmured softly in a voice only he could hear, “I’m happy to see you again, Nolan.”

The intimate gesture stunned not only Nolan’s companions, but even the Wood Elves standing behind Romina widened their eyes in disbelief. Since when had their captain ever treated an outsider—let alone a human—with such closeness?

A faint scent of fresh grass and flower nectar drifted through the air. For a moment, Nolan had no idea where to put his hands without looking inappropriate. After several awkward seconds, he finally raised one hand and gently patted her back. “Of course. A knight never breaks his word. I’m happy to see you again too, Romina.”

Not far away, Vivi puffed out her cheeks at the sight.

“I knew it!” she muttered under her breath before instantly switching to a bright smile and trotting over in quick little steps. “Big Sister Romina! I missed you too!”

Before Romina could react, Vivi slipped between her and Nolan like lightning and wrapped her arms around the elf captain’s slender waist, affectionately rubbing her cheek against her chest.

“Vivi, you’re hugging too tightly…”

“The moment we solved the territory’s problems, we rushed here without stopping!” From her tone, anyone unaware of the situation might have thought Vivi herself had been the one most anxious about this entire journey.

As she spoke, she shot Nolan a playful, smug look over her shoulder, as if proudly flaunting her victory.

Watching from nearby, Rehanna’s lips twitched faintly. She glanced at Ailindel beside her and discovered the Moon Elf hero observing Vivi’s little antics with obvious amusement, a faint smile lingering on her face.

Of course, Ailindel had seen right through Vivi’s tiny schemes, but she had no intention of exposing them. Instead, she simply inclined her head gracefully toward Romina. “It’s good to see you again, Captain Romina,” she said softly.

“Lady Ailindel!” Faced with the elven hero, Romina immediately composed herself and bowed respectfully. “Seeing you again is my honor.”

The Moon Elf nodded elegantly in return.

Seeing their lord interact with the legendary Wood Elves with such familiarity—even excessive intimacy—the soldiers of Coldsteel City were utterly dumbfounded. Their earlier tension vanished completely, replaced instead by overwhelming admiration and pride.

As expected of their lord. While other nobles struggled to build relationships within the kingdom, he was already hugging Wood Elves.

A tall male Wood Elf approached them. It was Finley, vice-captain of the ranger patrol. He first gave Nolan a slight nod of acknowledgment before his gaze shifted toward the heavily armed troops behind him. His brows unconsciously furrowed.

“Mr. Nolan,” Finley said in the cool tone characteristic of Wood Elves, “these people are…?”

The last time Nolan had arrived with only a handful of companions. This time, however, there were more than fifty soldiers clad in matching gold-and-crimson heavy armor alone. Their excellent weapons and military equipment clearly made the conservative, isolationist Wood Elf uncomfortable.

“There’s no need to worry, Vice-Captain.” Nolan easily sensed his caution. “These are my people—the warriors of the Inquisition of the Cross. I suspect cultists are involved in the Foundation of Life incident. We’re here to help, not cause trouble. To resolve the problem you’re facing, this level of manpower is necessary.” Nolan’s tone remained sincere. “We’re allies, not a threat.”

The suspicion on Finley’s face did not fade. His gaze lingered on the crossed warhammer-and-holy-symbol insignia emblazoned on the soldiers’ pauldrons, and his expression grew even graver.

Hesitating slightly, he turned toward Romina and lowered his voice. “Captain, the number and strength of these outsiders far exceed our original expectations.” Concern filled Finley’s voice. “If we bring them to Forest Home, I’m afraid it won’t be easy to explain things to the Council of Elders…”