novelraw Chapter 419 : New Leader
Chapter 419 : New Leader
Chapter 419: New Leader
He had not expected that Castel had truly gone missing for a long time.
Although it had now reappeared, the Northlands were in utter chaos, and the speed of information spread in this world was simply too slow.
At this moment, the rebellion in Blood Harbor had only just ended, and the news had not yet reached here. If he had stayed in town for a few more days, he might have caught fragments of gossip.
Unfortunately, after failing to obtain anything in his inquiries, he decided to first seek out Nora. The Resistance Army’s camp was located in the wilderness, and as he searched along the way, he ended up missing the news about Castel.
The sight of Nora before him was somewhat unexpected.
The Burier of the Silent Sanctum was indeed difficult to kill. But even so, losing one’s head and still remaining alive?
Wait… was she really still alive?
Isaac quietly activated 【Chrysalis】’s 【Self-Binding】 and observed her for a while, though doubts lingered in his heart.
It seemed like she was alive, yet also not.
He could sense that Nora’s vitality was present, but within this body, there was far too little—so little that it should not have been enough to sustain a person’s existence.
Was this not far too strange?
But since communication was possible, he might as well ask directly.
“Cough—Nora, do you remember me?”
Previously, the two of them had barely interacted, only crossing paths a few times—not enough to even be called acquaintances.
Nora remained motionless.
“Can you speak?”
Nora remained motionless.
“Were you injured during battle?”
Nora remained motionless.
A faint unease crept into Isaac’s heart. Combined with the fact that Nora’s body contained little vitality…
He circled around Nora a few times. Though it was hard to distinguish clearly, she always kept her front facing him, her body still maintaining a trace of vigilance.
“…If you can understand me, then raise your hand.”
Nora remained motionless.
Isaac’s heart sank. It seemed his suspicions were correct. A Burier without a head indeed could not survive. Though he did not understand why her body could still move, she was truly already dead.
The recent clash had caused quite a bit of noise, and soon people gathered around. They looked on with a mixture of suspicion and confusion. There were traces of battle on the ground, yet the flail in Nora’s hand hung low, as if she were not treating this man as an enemy.
Isaac more or less figured out the situation here. No longer hesitating, he raised the letter in his hand high and declared to all sides:
“I have come under the will of Lord Hughes, Frontier Count of Storm Ocean and Lord of Castel. You should have heard from Lady Nora that the Count has promised to grant you protection, and I am here to provide aid!”
After speaking, he shook the letter in his hand. “This is the Count’s own handwritten letter!”
He had originally intended to deliver the letter directly to Nora. But since she was now like this, he could only reveal it publicly.
Next, it depended on whether this group had a reliable leader. If they did, he would ally with them. If not, then he would take them under command.
So Isaac thought. Yet soon his brows lifted in surprise.
Nora, who had been unresponsive until now, suddenly walked toward him.
On closer thought, it was only when the names Castel and Hughes were mentioned earlier that she had stopped fighting.
Isaac narrowed his eyes but did not move. Step by step, Nora walked closer, reached out toward the letter in his hand, and then—
She could not reach it.
Isaac had raised the letter high. Nora had always been short, and now without a head, she was shorter still. While this did not prevent her from stretching out her hand… it was still not enough.
Hmm. Perhaps more than just a little.
Isaac hesitated. He was worried this headless Nora might damage the letter. To him, this body seemed to be running only on instinct. But in the end, he still lowered his hand and passed the letter over.
Nora accepted the letter. The white metal gauntlet grasped the paper. She did not read it, but instead pressed it flat against her breastplate, at the position of her heart.
Isaac blinked. Could she feel anything from that? It was merely an ordinary letter, with not a trace of the extraordinary.
But Nora seemed as if she truly sensed something. She returned the letter to him, then struck her chestplate with a clenched fist.
This was the etiquette of the Northland warriors, a sign of acknowledgment. Isaac returned the gesture.
The atmosphere among the crowd suddenly relaxed. The vigilance in their eyes diminished, replaced by curiosity, and murmurs spread.
“Lady Nora has acknowledged him!”
“Are you really from Castel? Does Castel truly exist?”
“What nonsense are you spouting? Of course Castel exists! That is our new home!”
“N-no, I was just worried, I can hardly believe it…”
“Are you here to take us away? Please, lead us out of here!”
Isaac smiled but did not reply. He simply observed their reactions quietly.
A woman’s voice rang out: “Quiet! Don’t crowd around here. Get back to your work.”
The crowd dispersed in a rush. From time to time, people still sneaked glances in this direction, curiosity written on their faces, but they all returned to their tasks.
Nora still stood where she was, but another young woman had appeared at her side.
This girl’s face was stern, her figure tall, with long snow-white hair tied at the back—typical features of someone from the White Raven Principality.
She nodded toward Isaac. “Please, come with me.”
It was clear this woman held considerable authority within the camp. Just now, whether soldiers or children, they had all obeyed her words without hesitation, and yet there had been no fear in their expressions.
Isaac secretly nodded. Having a leader able to command respect was a good thing. Dealing with the Resistance Army would be far easier.
They entered a random hut and sat down. The girl crossed her arms, waiting for Isaac to speak.
As he handed over Hughes’s handwritten letter, Isaac said, “I am Isaac, leader of the Ashes’ Alliance. Though I did indeed come from Castel, I have been out of contact with them for quite some time. I came mainly to ask whether you can connect with Castel from here.”
“Unfortunately, we cannot.”
After being besieged, Nora had more than once tried to call for outside aid. Not only Castel, but even the Silent Sanctum had attempted, all in vain.
At first, these refugees had still been able to linger near the towns and receive bits of news. Later, they were driven about by various lords’ soldiers, cutting them off from the outside world entirely. They had no knowledge of Castel’s situation.
“I have only heard that something tremendous has happened in Storm Ocean, but the specifics were vague. We are far from the sea and know no more.”
Isaac had heard of this as well.
Apparently, a few months ago, strange phenomena appeared all across the world. Some said meteors fell; others said the oceans dried up. Truth and lies were impossible to separate.