"Looking across all of history, compared to the distant past, the era ushered in by the Golden Order Dynasty was undeniably a beautiful one."
"Although the historical records say nothing about the Mother of Fingers, it's clear that she never intended to turn the Lands Between into a living hell."
"The Lands Between and the countless stars above all originated from a colossal explosion in some faraway place. All living beings are children of the Greater Will."
"The Mother of Fingers was the first meteor to descend upon the Lands Between, the radiant daughter of the Greater Will, and the mother of all Two Fingers and Fingercreepers.
"It can be said that she and Marika created this era together. Their goal must have been to shape the Lands Between into a better world."
"But then why did Marika shatter the ring and bring an end to this hard-won golden age? Could it be that she came into conflict with this so-called 'beautiful world' itself?"
Nolan gently closed the book. Whatever Marika's true thoughts had been, one thing was certain.
The Greater Will created the Lands Between through a cosmic explosion, then cast the Mother of Fingers down from the starry sky, likely intending for her to oversee this land.
But something unexpected happened.
The Mother of Fingers was damaged in an accident, her body impaired to the point that she could no longer contact her Father. Left with no choice, she acted on her own and joined Marika in shaping the era that followed.
And Marika, a queen born from suffering, after ruling the Lands Between for many years, shattered the Order Ring that carried the Order with her own hands for reasons unknown, igniting conflict among the lords.
The golden authority was broken by the Eternal Queen herself. The demigods, each pursuing their own aims, raised their arms and plunged the Lands Between back into a storm of blood and fire.
Disaster was looming.
"To cure an illness, you have to understand its cause. So is the problem with the Law itself, or is it simply a rift between Marika and the Mother of Fingers?"
Lost in thought, Nolan's gaze drifted, catching sight of someone approaching. He looked up.
A bearded middle-aged man carried a tray over to the table and spoke softly.
"Lord Nolan, your shrimp and fruit wine. Please enjoy."
"Thanks," Nolan replied with a nod.
Not all sorcerers were nobles, but in Liurnia of the Lakes, they occupied a highly respected position, little different from nobility in practice.
Golden oil slowly slid down the tender shrimp, releasing an enticing aroma.
Nolan picked one up and placed it into his mouth. The flavor was exquisite. He closed his eyes in quiet satisfaction.
Exhausted day after day by Sellen's relentless lessons, Nolan rarely had time to truly experience the customs and atmosphere of Liurnia.
After a long day, enjoying a proper meal like this was a rare pleasure.
Thinking of the barely edible food in his teacher's room, Nolan frowned slightly.
Just then, he noticed the owner hadn't gone far and quickly called out,
"Reep, pack another serving to go. Same with the fruit wine."
Something this good couldn't be kept from his teacher.
Nolan was a regular here and had long since become familiar with the owner. The broad-built middle-aged man immediately agreed.
Watching his back disappear into the kitchen, Nolan shook his head.
Even with extraordinary power at his disposal, he never felt superior to others. If anything, he genuinely enjoyed this quiet, ordinary life, getting along naturally with everyday people.
His upbringing in his first life played a part in that, and witnessing the darkness of the world in his second only reinforced it.
Killing was nothing more than a means, never the purpose of Nolan's life.
He picked up the last piece of shrimp and savored it slowly. Just as he finished, the packed food was ready. Nolan placed the runes on the table.
"I'll be going now."
"Safe travels, Lord Nolan."
No sooner had Nolan stepped out of the restaurant than a sharp cry rang out nearby.
"Help! Someone's been hurt!"
"Quick, get the soldiers! A Crayfish has come ashore!"
Nolan snapped his head around.
A colossal Crayfish was crouched on the ground, nearly twice the height of a grown man. It thrashed about wildly, charging anything in its path. With a swing of its enormous claw, it sent a middle-aged man flying. This was clearly no harmless little shrimp from a dinner plate.
Frowning, Nolan quickened his pace. The seaweed-covered Giant Crayfish was rampaging through the area, and the ordinary townsfolk were completely helpless against it.
In an instant, Nolan understood what was happening.
The legendary "Lord of Cinder" had arrived!
The stationed Cuckoo soldiers rushed in, spears in hand, surrounding the rampaging Giant Crayfish and stabbing at it in a flurry.
They barely had time to breathe before another scream erupted nearby.
A second Crayfish overturned a soldier, clamping him in one massive claw and whipping him around violently as it let out a deep, rasping growl.
The Cuckoo Knights assigned to patrol this district were nowhere to be seen. No one knew where they had run off to enjoy themselves.
They might have worn the banner of Caria Manor, but in truth they were little more than hired mercenaries. Their discipline was nowhere near comparable to that of the Haligtree Army.
Nolan had no intention of waiting any longer. He raised his staff without hesitation.
A Glintstone Pebble streaked past him and slammed squarely into the Crayfish's hardened shell. Smoke curled into the air, yet not so much as a mark was left behind.
Nolan focused his gaze and immediately recognized the caster. It was that bald apprentice again.
Standing amid the crowd, the man looked utterly terrified, panic written plainly across his face.
"To step forward even while gripped by fear… that alone takes courage."
The apprentice magicians had already learned a handful of basic Sorceries.
The real line separating them from full-fledged apprentices lay in whether they could master "Swift Glintstone Shard" and "Great Glintstone Shard."
Those two spells were mandatory in the initiation trials. Without them, one couldn't even be considered to have the bare minimum talent for magic, let alone qualify as an apprentice.
The bald apprentice's Sorcery accomplished little, but it was enough to draw the Giant Crayfish's attention.
Seeing the monster lift its head and open its gaping maw, Nolan broke into a sprint without hesitation.
A high-pressure jet of water blasted from the Crayfish's mouth, smashing wooden barrels apart along its path.
The bald apprentice frantically waved his wand, sending blue ripples spreading outward in quick succession.
Nolan leapt high into the air and brushed his right hand across his spirit ring. In an instant, a metal shield materialized.
He swiftly reinforced it with "Scholar's Shield" and dashed toward the crowd.
His movements were far nimbler than those of an ordinary Sorcerer. In the blink of an eye, he had left more than a dozen Cuckoo soldiers far behind.
After only a short distance, Nolan suddenly stopped and raised his shield. The water cannon struck and was held fast.
The next moment, a bald head popped out from behind him.
Without a word, Nolan grabbed the man by the collar and yanked him backward with force.
Almost at the same instant, another jet of water crashed violently against the shield.