After the purge of the nobles was complete, Serosh looked at Prince Morgott with a smile and spoke in a tone that was uniquely wise, gentle, and deep.
"Prince Morgott, please have these people's estates entered into the treasury as military funds. The battle at Mt. Gelmir dealt the Dynasty a heavy blow, and the wealth of these nobles can be used to make up for our losses and restore the army's strength."
Serosh's gaze rested on Morgott as he waited for his reply.
Though confiscating these nobles' estates had been a sudden whim of Godfrey's, Serosh had approved it as well.
As a close friend who had accompanied Godfrey for a thousand years, Serosh had considerable influence over many of Godfrey's decisions.
He was Godfrey's Beast Chancellor. In the beginning, he had been the king of beasts in the Lands Between, the one people called the "Beast Lord."
But when the Golden Dynasty rose, Serosh understood that the age of savagery could no longer be restored, and he chose to accept the coming of civilization.
He set aside his identity as Lord and became Godfrey's Beast Chancellor, suppressing the War King's endless battlelust and assisting him in becoming a truly worthy Golden Lord.
Godfrey often accepted Serosh's suggestions without hesitation, almost never arguing against them.
During the glorious era when they governed the Golden Dynasty together, Serosh had always been regarded by the Golden subjects as the outward symbol and embodiment of the War King's wisdom.
To put it more simply, Serosh was like Godfrey's external brain.
All Godfrey needed to do was kill freely on the battlefield and charge into the fray. Serosh, on the other hand, had far more to think about.
If Hoarah Loux was the War King, and Serosh was the Beast King, then only when the two became one was the "First Elden Lord" Godfrey, revered by the world, truly born.
Although Serosh represented Godfrey's rational side, he was also the Beast King who had lived through the chaos of the wars between Lords.
He understood very well that nobles who knew only comfort and indulgence were not merely useless at such a critical time. They might even become stumbling blocks in their path.
Since that was the case, hesitation would only invite disaster. It was better to cut through the mess cleanly.
Clear out these dead weights first, and the wealth and resources they left behind could still serve some purpose.
That was why he had directly accepted Godfrey's proposal to purge the nobles, though Godfrey himself had not thought that far ahead. It had simply been a moment of hot-blooded impulse.
At first, when Morgott received Godfrey's order to massacre the nobles, many of Leyndell's knights were unwilling to obey, and it had nearly caused a mutiny.
After all, the Golden Dynasty was, in essence, an aristocratic society, and the knights themselves belonged to the noble class. They and the nobles were one body.
Yet the moment Godfrey personally stood before the knights, every voice of opposition vanished, replaced by thunderous cries of "Long live His Majesty the War King!"
Hearing Serosh address him respectfully as Prince made Morgott feel somewhat unaccustomed to it, but when he noticed that Godfrey had no objection, Morgott nodded slightly and turned to leave.
Godfrey and Serosh were both different from Marika.
Marika hated Morgott and Mohg because of the horns on their bodies, symbols of the power of the Aspects of the Crucible. Before Marika and her people rose to power, they had indeed suffered terribly at the hands of the Hornsent.
But whether it was Godfrey, who came from a barbarian tribe, or Serosh, who came from the native beast race of the Lands Between, both of them were themselves classic representatives of the power of the Aspects of the Crucible.
If Morgott and Mohg had been born among their respective peoples before the Golden Age, there was no doubt that they would have been treated as holy children, even divine children, from birth.
Throw them into the sewers? The people of both races would have worshiped them like treasures.
Watching Morgott gradually walk away, Godfrey suddenly turned his head and asked Serosh, "What do we do next?"
Serosh thought for a moment, then replied, "Once our military strength has recovered, we will first attack Mt. Gelmir while continuing to reinforce the Academy of Magic. That will completely cut off the north-south passage through the Lands Between and prevent those younger generations from realizing the situation has turned against them, then joining forces to resist us."
Ever since returning to the Lands Between, Serosh had been gathering intelligence from every side, and this strategy was the best plan he had carefully devised based on the information he currently had.
The greatest key to victory in war was to fight with greater numbers. If the conditions did not exist, then one created them. If total military strength could not overwhelm the enemy, then suppression had to be formed on a local battlefield.
Although the Altus Plateau was the richest region in the Lands Between, relying on that one area alone to overwhelm all the other regions combined was clearly unrealistic.
Therefore, Serosh's plan was to stop the hostile forces from gathering in advance and attacking the Royal Capital together.
When the time came, it would not matter whether Godfrey led Leyndell's army south or north. With Morgott holding the rear, even if they were attacked from both sides, they would not need to worry about their back being stolen.
Serosh did not know about the relationship between the Lord of Cinder of the Firelink Army and the two Empyreans of the Haligtree Army. But precisely because Godfrey was so strong, he had to prevent those weaklings from joining together.
In Serosh's eyes, Godfrey was invincible. Letting him enter the battlefield of the Demigods would be like releasing a tiger into a flock of sheep. There would be no suspense at all.
So the purpose of this strategy was simply to make the war easier and simpler.
"The Lands Between today are already completely different from what they were," Serosh sighed inwardly.
Godfrey fully agreed with him and nodded.
"Then we'll do as you said."
...
Farum Azula, near the center of the city, seemed like a corner forgotten by time.
The Ancient Dragons had carefully prepared a comfortable room for Nolan. Its furnishings were simple yet elegant, giving off a quiet and peaceful air.
Those Ancient Dragons who had originally come with ill intent were now, like Florissax, transformed into half-human, half-dragon forms.
Their scales shimmered faintly in the dim light, carrying an ancient and majestic presence.
"Lord Nolan, please rest here for the night. I will go report your arrival to His Majesty."
Josda Sankes spoke respectfully, then slowly backed out of the room and gently closed the door behind him.
As he left, the other Ancient Dragons turned and followed. Their footsteps echoed through the silent corridor.
While they walked, Florissax suddenly said, "It was far too dangerous for you to provoke His Majesty Nolan."
"Dangerous or not, we had to do it," Josda said. As he spoke, the corner of his mouth twitched. His face was still aching sharply.
That man had taken him and four other personal guards of His Majesty Placidusax down in an instant. He was terrifying beyond measure.
After catching his breath for a moment, Josda Sankes continued, "It's not as though you don't know His Majesty's current condition. His Majesty may be senile now, but how can we let someone whose background we don't know approach him?"
At the very least, show some respect to their old Lord while declaring loyalty to him!
Florissax sighed helplessly. "If His Majesty Nolan had not shown mercy, all of you would be dead."
"Even if it means death, we must protect His Majesty. That is the duty of the personal guard," Josda Sankus said in a low voice. "I will never allow the same mistake to happen a second time."
Anger flickered in Josda Sankus's eyes, as if he could still see the smug, mocking figure of that dark-red Flying Dragon.