As dawn broke, the raiding party returned to the town in triumph, their bodies still carrying the glow of victory.
The moment they passed through the city gates, hundreds of soldiers surged forward like a tide, surrounding them with thunderous cheers and completely clogging the road.
Since the outbreak of the war, the Carian Royal Family had been locked into a passive defensive position, firmly cornered in this remote region by the Cuckoo. Victories born of active offensives like this were exceedingly rare.
This long-standing, one-sided situation had weighed heavily on everyone's spirits, making every hard-won success a tremendous boost to morale.
Amid the roaring cheers, the raiding party slowly made its way into the military camp.
Nolan carried himself with calm composure, openly accepting the praise and applause directed at him. His status was somewhat special. As a guest commander who had joined midway through the campaign, his relationship with the soldiers had never been particularly close, nor distant.
This battle, however, had narrowed that gap considerably, easing relations and fostering a far more harmonious atmosphere.
Of course, even without this achievement, having agreed to serve as a guest commander, Nolan would have continued to fulfill his duties wholeheartedly until that title was formally stripped away.
Caria had always been generous when rewarding valor, and the lavish table piled high with delicious fish dishes left Nolan more than satisfied.
By comparison, Trina really ought to learn a thing or two. Letting people talk on empty stomachs all the time was hardly proper behavior.
Raziel spared no effort in offering his praise. After commending everyone present and extolling their bravery, the banquet drew to a close, and the group departed for the fortress.
Nolan, as usual, climbed up onto the city walls, keeping an eye out for any chance to pick up a few extra kills.
Since early morning, the thunder of giant arrows, sorcery, and catapults had echoed without pause.
The royal stronghold was far from an impregnable fortress. It had already been battered into a pockmarked ruin, riddled with craters large and small.
The crossbow cannons creaked as their long strings were slowly drawn taut.
Bolts three to four meters long tore through the sky, followed by deafening explosions as shattered stone and mangled bodies were flung upward together.
"These people have even dragged civilians onto the battlefield."
Nolan stood atop a high tower, gnawing on a leg of lamb as he gazed out over the distant battlefield.
The meat was tender and juicy. After months of nothing but shrimp and crab, the taste finally brought a welcome sense of novelty to his palate.
Having performed a deed worthy of a hero, Nolan felt it only natural to enjoy the glory he had earned. There was nothing wrong with that, in his view.
So he ate his fill that day, even casually pocketing some wine and meat after the meeting. Then he climbed a tower and began watching the siege unfold across the Lands Between.
The Cuckoo, however, were simply too poor, or perhaps too unprofessional.
As a result, powerful siege weapons commonly seen among other lords' armies, such as giant golems, were nowhere to be found here.
By contrast, the Caria sorcerers occasionally hurled spells into the fray, lending the battlefield a faintly dazzling, fantastical sheen.
The golden glow along the horizon gradually dimmed, and the scattered formations, bolstered by sheer numbers, began to radiate an oppressive presence.
More than a dozen catapults stood in neat formation, relentlessly hurling massive stones toward the city walls under the soldiers' practiced hands.
Naturally, the Caria forces did not remain idle. Taking full advantage of their elevated position, they poured out a steady stream of bolts and magic shards.
The exchange was lively enough, but it was hardly something one could call admirable.
A catapult was struck by a crossbow cannon and collapsed to the ground with a thunderous crash, crushing several militia beneath it.
At the same time, shrill screams rang out from the ramparts as bodies tumbled down from above.
Militia, soldiers, knights, and sorcerers alike were all swallowed by this blood-soaked vortex, hopelessly entangled within it.
"My foolish apprentice, how did you end up in a place like this?"
Sellen climbed up the tower, glanced toward the front lines, and curled her lips in disdain as she spoke.
"War is the most tedious thing imaginable. I truly don't understand what there is to watch."
The sorcerer wore a contemptuous smile. To her, the power to slaughter lives was nothing more than a trivial byproduct along the path toward the origin.
No matter how many people were killed, it was all a waste of time.
If anything, the real loss was that too many lives were being taken, leaving no one to explore the mysteries of Sorceries in the future.
"I'm just here to see if there's a chance to eliminate a few more enemies."
Nolan wasn't someone who indulged in slaughter, but he saw no reason to show mercy to this group of Cuckoos.
"Judging by the situation now, the Cuckoos' offensive seems to have slowed quite a bit."
In past assaults, the Cuckoos would always organize wave after wave of cannon fodder to charge forward, but today, there was no sign of that at all.
"This is the princess's war. If she doesn't even care herself, why are you worrying so much about it?" The Witch showed no interest in the flesh and blood splattering all around.
"Why bring her into this all of a sudden? This is for my own sake. Living too comfortably dulls the body, and now isn't the time for comfort."
Nolan waved his hand casually.
He and Sellen had lived together for quite some time, but as for that princess, it really had been nothing more than a single encounter. Their relationship could hardly be called close.
"At this rate, this foolish apprentice will never become a qualified researcher in his lifetime."
Sellen shot him a helpless look and let out a deep sigh, fully aware that the path Nolan walked was completely different from her own.
Fortunately, after the academy's harrowing night, she no longer believed that pursuing Strength was meaningless.
Without strength, her obedient apprentice would never have returned from that night.
"Don't rush things. Compared to when you first arrived at the academy, your strength has increased by a tremendous margin. I've never seen anyone grow at such a speed."
Sellen gently reassured Nolan.
The two of them had lived together day and night, eating and sleeping side by side, knowing each other inside and out. No one understood how capable this foolish apprentice truly was better than his Witch teacher.
Sellen had a very clear grasp of Nolan's growth.
From being on par with the Preceptors at the beginning, to killing two associate Preceptors, and then last night, cutting down several Cuckoo Knights in succession.
All of it had happened within less than a year.
Such an astonishing rate of growth left even Sellen unable to fully comprehend it.
Nolan kept his eyes forward, a confident smile on his face, as though he were hiding some enormous secret, yet without the slightest hint of worry.
He spoke softly, "Don't you want to know the reason?"
"I'm only responsible for teaching Sorceries. I can't be bothered with anything else. But if you have questions about magic, feel free to ask. Your teacher happens to have nothing to do right now."
Nolan froze. He had only meant to tease Sellen a little, never expecting her to offer help of her own accord.
He couldn't help feeling surprised, along with a faint, barely noticeable sense of delight, and quickly asked, "You're not researching the Origin anymore?"